"Big Daddy" Dave Griffin in Frisbee Heaven!

It is with sad eyes and a broken heart that I must tell everyone that we have lost truly a great man and a member of the Frisbee Family. Big Daddy Dave Griffin #1414 lost his battle with Leukemia this past weekend. As details become available I will post them here and on the blog we have started. Memorial funds and Scholarships are being set up as soon as our eyes have dried out...
Virginia States this year will have a special memorial service at some point I am sure...Please say tuned!

I am asking if any of you all have photos that you would like to share I am collecting them for the family and for a memorial slide show…

Rest in peace and fly high Big Daddy we love you!!

Official Blog is now up and ready for your input.
http://flyhighbigdaddy.blogspot.com/

[Jordan Mardis]

Always sad to lose a golfer. He is missed by many many people, even if they didn't know him.

Jordan

[Mike]

A friend of this sport, is a friend of mine.

[Stick]

Big daddy was a great freind and mentor of mine. He was very unselfish with his time and would help anyone willing to listen. He taught me aviars are not just for putting. Daddy also knew how to do anything with a frisbee from mta to ddc and was also a freestlyer. My game got alot better faster knowing him. Virginia States will not be the same without him. Scott, Craig has some good pics he already posted one on md-discgolf.com under general topic sad time. I will truly miss my buddy and my thoughts and prayers go out to Jen and the family. I know it was a long hard fought battle, thank you Scott for all you have done and will continue to do Dave is lucky to have had a friend like you and we all were lucky to have had a friend like Dave.

[Tino "SilverBack" Medina]

my condolenses to his friends and family.

[RandyL]

I first met Dave in College Park Maryland at one of the many two day tournament events in the early 80's. Back then he and Dan Thessen (sp?) were the top disc golfers of Washington DC that no one could beat when you were counting. I was just a snot-knosed high school kid at the time but I had the fever. Dave was out of the service and was working selling carpet perhaps if I recall correctly, then worked at the DC radio album rock station WAVA for a while till it didn't make it, then the cable company. Always 45 minutes late to ddc cause he had to do an install . . I was always 20 minuts later just cause I could not keep time but so it goes. Dave put more spin on a golf disc than anyone I have ever played against and his accuracy with avaiars was really a thing of beauty. I remember once driving with DG to Burke lake where he successfully broke his ankle teeing off of hole 9 and I got to drive him back to his house in his beat to hell ford capri with literally no brakes (it had maybe the emergency brake and gravity to guide it but otherwise made this ungodly noise when you attempted to stop it using the traditional methods. It was way past the mere grind of worn out brake shoe liners and rotors). We made it but it was an act of faith for a person who just got their driver's license a couple of months prior.

We played a lot of disc golf together, guts, ddc, and overall events over the years. I even remember freestyling with Dave a few times at events, seeing music, meeting up with he and Shahid for SXSW with his daughter Lauren. My favorite events with DG were probably the guts tournaments though, travelling with him and Mark Susi. Nothing like mixing a former marine and a hard throwing disc sports competitor together into an adrenaline-based sport to bring out the best you have to offer. Dave was always a fierce competitor and you could tell so based on how hard he came down on himself when he missed a shot. "Come on DG!!!!" as loud as he could scream. I probably heard that 1000 times from him. It was usually a sign of good fortune that you had a chance to beat him, at least on a hole.

Probably the best recollections I have of Dave came later though when he somehow conned Jen to start playing disc sports. What a proud dad. Proud of both his daughters he was. Now that I am a Dad myself I really understand where his pride came from and what it means to your family to carry that around. Thanks Dave for the experiences, and the lesson on how you stand and deliver in life.
-Randy Lahm

[Scott Holter]

Latest info 1-7-09

Dave Griffin’s Celebration of Family and Life will be held at St. Timothy’s Methodist Church in Mandeville, LA on Saturday, January 17th 2009 at 11:00am. For those arriving early or for individuals that would like to share thoughts or stories about Daddy, there will be a Pre-service at 10:30am so that you can be given the necessary information about the agenda and ceremony. There will also be a reception and lunch to follow the service. If you need hotel accommodations, we have reserved a block of rooms at The Holiday Inn in Covington, LA. Please mention that you are attending Dave Griffin’s Memorial Service for the discounted rate of $109 per night. The final day to secure this rate is Sunday January 11th. I am also making arrangements at another hotel so that information will be coming soon.

[Jamie 'gr8rocshot' Ruane]

My condolenses as well.

[Jack Davis]

Losing someone that has been a part of the sport that long is always hard, and losing them to cancer is even harder. I did not know this man but from reading the post here and on the blog he was fun loving man who lived life to the fullest. I have lost 2 very good friends of mine recently and know what kind of pain that this is to deal with. I know that having something such as disc golf to have something to take your mind somewhere or just having something to remind you of him is a very blessed thing. My heart goes out to all of his friends and family and I hope that your healing process goes smoothly, trust in your family, trust in your friends, and by all means trust in God. He will always be with you every time you release a piece of plastic whether good or bad.


Keep em in the air!

Jack Davis

[Jamie 'gr8rocshot' Ruane]

Jamie 'gr8rocshot' Ruane said:

My condolenses as well.

In Honor of Dave

[Donnie Brooks, Mini Disc Golf Federation]

It is with heavy heart that I have read about the passing of a person I so loved and admired. I met Big Daddy at Virginia States Fribee Championships many years ago, where he was a Frisbee throwing Icon. He befriended me and gave me one of his minis that said "Dave Griffin" "Virginia Disc Golfer". (before he moved) At the Virginia States tourney the Laszlo people had a slogan. "Welcome Home". It meant to me that I was among family and Dave was very much a part of my family there. He was always kind to me and I always enjoyed watchin him play with joy in his flight. I have a tears flowing from my eyes right now as I realize that I will never see him again. Dave, If you can hear me. I may have never said it to you, But I LOVE YOU MAN. May your heavenly flight be all it can be. I know you are now REALLY home, and I hope that St Peter has said, "Welcome Home" to you. Be at peace my Brother. You will be missed. Respectfully, Donnie Brooks

[BogieWon]

My deepest condolences to his friends and family!

[Linc Morgan]

It is indeed a sad day:( Big Daddy was an awsome man. I will miss him. I think I have a photo with him showing off those HUGE calfs, maybe I can digitalize it and send it to you. He is most likely throwing his best MTA now. I choking up, gotta go.I'm sending big cyber hugs to his entire family.