Timothy Michael McGriff Jr.

Timothy Michael McGriff Jr, "Tim," who was born on June 24, 1972 at Eglin Air Force Base and went to Milton High School, used the last of his nine lives at home in Fairhope, Alabama on May 2, 2025.
Tim did not die from things his friends and family might have expected him to die from. He did not die trapped under a vehicle he was working on. He did not die robbing a bank. He did not die at sea.
He lived through many life events that would have easily killed lesser men:
1. He did not die from the raging systemic infection he contracted when he cut his leg falling off a boat into a cesspool in Central America.
2. He did not die when his father found him unresponsive and carried him to the hospital to learn he was an undiagnosed type-1 diabetic.
3. He did not die in a tugboat fire on the Elsbeth 2.
4. He did not die when a door blew off its hinges and hit him in the face on an ocean salvage operation.
5. He did not die when a 6,000-pound hydraulic ram crushed his right arm and broke his back.
6. He did not die from driving too fast in any of the fast cars he has owned - a life list that would make almost anyone but Jay Leno jealous.
7. He did not die from end stage liver disease.
8. He did not die from advanced kidney disease.
He died, somewhat unexpectedly, after a long series of illnesses and a short rally in which he went back to work and reclaimed his sense of self and his joie de vivre.
He is survived by his wife of 7 years and life partner of more than 11, Amy Mathis; his loving parents, Micki and Tim McGriff Sr; two aunts and many cousins; including special 2nd cousin, Osman Jones; and long-time friends, Todd Crutchfield and Wesley and Gala Patrick.
Tim was a sailor from his teenage years and lived the life of one, spending both money and time with reckless abandon. He was a marine engineer who worked on tugboats, dredge operations, oil platforms, and cruise ships. He travelled the world and lived for a time in Gibraltar, Bangkok, Seattle, Jacksonville, New Orleans, and even on a park bench in London. He went as far from home as Bora Bora and finally made it to the Falkland Islands (NOT the Malvinas!) last year. He loved buying and driving imported cars and taking them apart and putting them back together. He may have been most proud of the time he was the Designated Person Ashore during 2015's Hurricane Joaquin. With the hurricane approaching Tim advised the crew and ship for which he was responsible to seek safe harbor. His crew made it home; the crew of the nearby El Faro did not.
He was not perfect, but by God he was FUN. He was not always strictly truthful, but his best stories were at least 95% accurate, with just a little shine to them. Life in his atmosphere was never boring. He loved his mama and his dad, was a faithful and devoted husband, helped his friends anytime they asked, and freely gave to his wife, friends, and family more than they could ever hope to repay. He lived a full life to the fullest and will be well-remembered by all who met him. Blessed are we who knew him best.
The family will receive friends and family at Trahan Family Funeral Home of Milton on Saturday, May 10, 2025 from 2-4 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the American Diabetes Association or The Salvation Army.