DECEMBER 2012 MEMBER PROFILE: GARRY A. GRIFFIN

Retired Lieutenant Garry Griffin , 63 years of age retired in 2005 from Rescue 15 with 30 years of service.

Garry was one of six children born in Jacksonville on June 6, 1949 to Harold and Annie Mae Griffin. Garry has 4 sisters, Gwen, Jackie, Sandra and Gail. He also has a brother, David.

Garry graduated from Mathew Gilbert High School on Franklin Street.

After graduation Garry enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served 4 years. He went to boot camp in the Great Lakes.

Garry is married to Cynthia. He has 3 children. Sons, Sigmund (41yo), Adrian (35yo) and a daughter Danielle (31yo).

Garry was hired as a firefighter with the Jacksonville Fire Department on January 14, 1974. Garry’s first assignment was Ladder 13 with Lt. Fred Allen as his officer.

Garry worked at Ladder 20, Rescue 4, Rescue 6 and made Lt. while at Rescue 9.

Garry says that his most memorable fire was when a car “blew up” on Eve Drive. He was on Ladder 20 at the time and he has never forgotten the amount of damage that an explosion like that could cause.

Since retirement Garry has pursued his wish to help the elderly. Garry and his wife have opened and now run 2 assisted living facilities in Jacksonville. One of the facilities in named EJ’s Place Assisted living. When asked how they came up with this name Cynthia states that it is named for her mother, Evelyn Johnson.

The facility on the north has 6 senior citizens and the one on the Westside has 5 seniors living there. Garry and his wife are very involved with the care of all the seniors and have been doing this for the past 7 years.
 

	Garry and Cindy share the responsibility of 2 assisted living Facilities in Jacksonville.
	Garry and Cindy with one of the residents
	Garry calls this his “Ladder Man”.