David M. Griffin

IN LOVING MEMORY

David M. Griffin

Mar 26 1935 - Mar 08 2026 Mar 08 2026

David M. Griffin was born March 26, 1935, in Dallas, Texas. He passed from this world to a world of heroes, just like he was, as he was our hero and he fought bravely for our country and never lost a man on any of his missions. John 15:13 "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

David grew up in Frisco, Texas for the first 15 years of his life, then moved to Dallas, Texas, where he resided until he was 17 years old, when he joined the Paratroopers. His Father, Robert E. Griffin, and his grandfather, David Christie, were great inspirations to him and he patterned his life after these two great men and credited both of them for saving his life in Korea. With all of the harsh weather he and his men had to endure, with 30 degrees below zero…. "Just keep Moving," was his motto and he worked out and kept moving until the very end.

After David completed his basic training at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky and Airborne training at Ft. Benning, Georgia, he was then assigned additional training at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. He became an Army Ranger and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne of the 504 th Regiment, where he quickly obtained the status of Sergeant.

After his training was complete, things were pretty dull, so David told his Captain that he wanted to go to war, and he refused to jump until they sent him to Korea. After he arrived, his 187 th Airborne Unit had already shipped out to Japan so he was then attached to the 75 th field Artillery and assigned to the 1 st Marines Division in charge of patrols and reconnaissance missions. David always said that training camp at Fort Bragg and Fort Benning, "was just a drop in the bucket" in comparison to working for his dad and grandfather, as they had him well prepared"! After spending two years in Korea, the war was coming to an end, so he played sports until he got out, then David got a football scholarship at Kansas State.

David said one day that he was very thankful that he made it through the war, but not a day went by that he didn't think about the men that did not make it.

After college, David returned to Frisco and started his own company with his two brothers, Bob & Buzz. They went all over the country with two combines, cutting whatever crop anyone had in their fields. David would go ahead of the crew and set up the cutting with the farmers, then, he and his brothers would come back and cut. David was an entrepreneur all of his life, even when he was 6 years old, he would go door to door selling flower seeds.

David felt like the combining business was not going to do it for him, so he went to work at International Harvester in Frisco, where his brother, Bob, worked, so he could sell big equipment. In doing that, he got tired of the farmers telling him that they would have to wait and see what "the wife" wanted to do!

David then heard about a job at Hobbs Trailers in Dallas, so he climbed the ladder from working in the parts department to General Manager, for 20 years, taking the bottom line from $800,000 a year to $30 million, before he left and got his own dealership with Utility Trailers.

While working for Hobbs, he became a 32nd Degree Mason, then a Shriner. He was always very proud that he was able to achieve that while he was on the road selling.

He had his dealership with Utility Trailers for 20 years and sold it in 1999 and started a new company known as Trailer Rentals and Sales, Inc., where he sold used big rigs, trailers, trains, buses, planes and anything else that had wheels.

David's courage was not limited to jumping out of planes. He was brave enough to pay for a stranger's lunch in April 2003, which resulted in 23 years of incredible happiness, adventure and wedded bliss.

David was preceded in death by his parents, Robert E. and Pauline Griffin; brothers, Jack, Bob and Buzz Griffin; sister-in-law, Patty Young; stepson, Sean Milam; and granddaughter, McKenzie Milam.

He is survived by his wife of 20 years, Shirley Griffin; two sisters-in-law, Thelma and Gus Griffin; seven nieces, eight nephews and one granddaughter, Emeri Milam.

David is everything to our families and he has been surrounded by that love and care including Hospice, so in lieu of flowers, please send donations to Hospice-Visiting Nurse Association of Denton, Texas in his honor.

A funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Friday, March 13, 2026 at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen, Texas 75013. The service will also be live streamed at the following link: https://celebrationoflife.tv/. Following the service, a procession will make its way to Rowlett Creek Cemetery in Plano for the interment.

The family will receive guests during a visitation from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Thursday evening at the funeral home.