Thomas Griffy

Tom passed on from this earth on May 4, 2019 to be with his Heavenly Father after a short but serious illness. He will be remembered by all as a kind, trustworthy, generous, and learned teacher of the faith. To quote an anonymous friend, “God lived inside of Tom in his mortal life, now Tom will live with God in the eternal life.”

Tom was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on December 16, 1936. He is preceded in death by his parents, Judson H. Griffy and Dicie Johnston Griffy; brother, J.H. Griffy; sisters, Billye White (husband Harry) and Betty Wagner (husband John).

He is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Penny Walker Griffy; sons, David and wife Marva, Alan and wife Tanya, and daughter Marjorie and husband Chris. He also leaves behind two granddaughters, Shelby and husband Ryan Rieger and Stella McGriffy, and great-granddaughter Rory Elizabeth Rieger and his brother Ted Griffy.

Tom and Penny met and fell in love at Classen High School in Oklahoma City. After going to different colleges, they married in 1958. As one of the top 10 students in his graduating high school class, Tom received a full scholarship to Rice Institute when only 200 students were accepted from around the world. He finished his undergraduate degree, Masters and PhD all at Rice in 1961, then went to Duke to become a Post-Doctoral Fellow. Tom and Penny’s first son, David, was born at Duke.

The Griffys’ next move was to the West Coast and Stanford University where Tom was invited to work with Nobel Prize winner, Bob Hofstaeter. Their second son, Alan, was born there, and the family took fantastic vacations to Yosemite National Park, San Francisco, and the pacific coast. But California was a long way from home, so when the University of Texas needed Tom’s specialty in Physics, the family packed up and moved to Austin, where homes were cheap and the culture was just right. Tom became a full Professor, then Departmental Chairman, and finally Associate Dean of the Graduate School. Daughter Marjorie was born in Austin, the family’s only native Texan.

Tom, Penny, and their family have been active members of St. John’s United Methodist Church since 1965. Members of the Wesley Adult Bible Class will especially miss Tom’s lessons that he faithfully created every week for over 30 years. Tom also loved his hobbies, including photography (he developed his pictures in the bathtub), watches, and his group of friends known as “the hamsters,” amateur “ham” radio operators who stayed in touch over the airwaves.

A Memorial Service will be held in Tom’s honor on Saturday, May 18, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. at St. John’s United Methodist Church, 2140 Allandale Rd. Austin, TX.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. John’s Endowment Fund.