Griff Spence Gresham

Griff Spence Gresham, age 69, was born on August 6th, 1952 and passed away on July 30th, 2022. Griff was adopted by loving parents Ray and Jean Gresham. Griff married Dana Stamp on December 5th, 1970 and they were married for 37 years. Griff and Dana had 3 children, Corey, Kyle, and Callie Gresham. As a high schooler, Griff was a young entrepreneur selling tomatoes and other vegetables that he grew himself. He worked at a local greenhouse and was a high school photographer. After attending Macon High School he went to work for Walsworth Publishing Company, taking school pictures across the country. Griff and Dana also owned and operated Dutch's Restaurant in Macon. He was an insurance agent with Mutual of Omaha for over 30 years. Griff rose to immediate success as an agent, receiving personal recognition from Marlin Perkins. Griff and Dana loved camping through the years and he assisted Dana with their craft business, selling crafts at shows in several states. Griff was reunited with his biological parents, his brother Lano Nerini Jr., aka Lannie (Sandy), and his half siblings Kenny (Lois) Nerini, Fred (Donna) Nerini, and Larry (BJ) Nerini and later his Illinois half-siblings, Andy (Teresa) Contratto, Pat (Steve) Davis, and Mary Huiras. Dana passed away in July 2008 after a long battle with breast cancer. Griff then met Connie Levy and moved to Columbia, MO in 2009 with her and her 3 daughters, Carly, Carrie, and Casie who he loved and finished raising as his own. Griff and Connie were together for almost 14 years until his passing. Griff continued to work as an insurance broker until 2015 when he had a stroke that took his eyesight. In 2021, Griff took on the battle of his life against the vicious disease of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) taking him away from his loved ones much too soon. Griff was predeceased by his parents Ray and Jean Gresham, his biological parents FeLano Nerini Sr. and Dorothy Contratto, wife Dana and son Corey. Griff was survived by his fiancé Connie, his daughter Callie (Brittany) Gresham, his son Kyle (Lisa) Gresham, daughters Carly (Paul) Betts, Carrie and Casie Levy. Daughter in-law Meg Gresham Bonuchi. Grandchildren, Emily (James) Smith, Ethan (Ashley), Eron (Kirsten), Evan, Trenton(Emily), Tanner (Mikayla), Tucker, Delanie, Kinley, Daenan, Dana, Myleigh, Easton, Jordynn, Collin. Great grandchildren, Adelynn and Colt, his stepmother Lois Nerini, sister Judy Hughes, the Nerini brothers and Illinois brothers and sisters, special cousin Cindy Kootz in Austria, several nieces, nephews, and cousins, and not to forget his beloved cat, Dolly. The family wishes to thank the staff of Compassus Hospice and Kilgore's Respiratory for Griff's care.
Funeral services will be Saturday, August 6, 2022, at 11 am, at the Hutton & McElwain Funeral Home in Macon, MO.
Visitation will be Saturday morning from 9 to 11 am, at the funeral home. Entombment will be in the Hillcrest Memoiral Gardens, north of Macon. Memorials suggested to ALS Association - Mid America Chapter or the Randy Johnson Memorial Fund.