Mr. Griff Earhardt

Funeral service for Pernell "Griff" Griffith Earhardt, 75, will be held 3:00 pm, Sunday, October 21, 2012, at St. Michael's Lutheran Church, with burial in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends in the fellowship hall immediately following the burial. Dunbar Funeral Home, Dutch Fork Chapel, is assisting the family. Pernell "Griff" Griffith Earhardt, age 75, was born August 4,1937, in Columbia and lived his entire life in and near the Columbia area. He was the son of the late Lewie and Tinka Earhardt. Griff was a 1956 graduate of Columbia High, and he attended the University of South Carolina where he was a captain for the 1959-60 baseball team. His team was the first to play on Sarge Frye Field. He was heavily involved in the South Carolina Amateur Softball Association (SCASA) for over 30 years as a coach and player. Griff was the founder of the S.C. Softball Hall of Fame and was inducted into the same organization in 1998. He was an active member of the Mid- Carolina Golf Club's Senior Men's Golf Association and the Hackers Golf group. Griff was an avid fisherman and loved the outdoors. He and his wife, Linda, enjoyed fishing in many and varied locations throughout the country. His military service included the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force, and the S.C. National Guard. Griff was a former employee of T&T Sporting Goods and retired from the South Carolina Department of Corrections Industries Program in 1999. Griff's death followed a thirteen year battle with cancer. His courage and never-give-up attitude were an inspiration to many of his friends and other cancer patients. Griff died a peaceful death, Wednesday, October 17, 2012 surrounded by family and his beloved and devoted wife of twenty-three years, at their Lake Murray home. Griff was a unique and genuine person who was blessed with an abundance of friends. He loved animals, he loved people, and he cherished making others smile, laugh and feel good about themselves. From his days of growing up in the Earlewood Park neighborhood of Columbia until his passing days, anyone who knew Griff would tell you that he was a most caring, fun loving, friendly and compassionate person who loved life and people. Griff never met a stranger and he took a sincere interest in anyone he met or knew. Griff is survived by his wife, Linda Dasher Earthardt; brother, Wayne Earhardt (Dale); nieces, Elise Earhardt, Ainsley Earhardt Proctor (Will); nephew, Trent Earhardt (Darcy) and cousin, Ernest Gates. The family wishes to thank Dr. Tripp Jones, Dr. Ann Hutchinson, and nurses, Tammy Cooper and Jen Buie of the S.C. Oncology Associates for their compassionate care over the last thirteen years. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Michael's Lutheran Church, 400 River Road, Columbia SC 29212, SCOA Cares Foundation, 166 Stoneridge Drive, Columbia SC 29210 or Pawmetto Lifeline, PO Box 1777 Columbia SC 29202.