Charles Hayes Griffin Jr

Charles H. Griffin, Jr., age 89, of Clarkston, Ga., passed away on March 9, 2026 at Budd Terrace Rehabilitation.

Charles was born on December 22, 1936 in Spartanburg, S.C. to Charles Hayes Griffin, Sr. and Ruby Kitchens Griffin. He grew up in Spartanburg and moved to Georgia after high school to attend Ga. Tech. While a student at Tech, Charles attended First Baptist Atlanta, where he met Merle. They married in 1958. Charles graduated from Ga. Tech in 1960 - the year his son, Mike, was born -- with a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, and later earned an M.B.A. from Ga. State University in 1973. Charles served in the U.S. Army for 3 years. He was stationed at Red Stone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama where daughter, Lisa, was born.

The family returned to Atlanta and Charles worked as a Mechanical Engineer at Newcomb & Boyd, and later at Lockwood-Greene Engineers for 34 years. He was known for his photography and had his pictures published in professional magazines and in the Atlanta Journal newspaper.

Charles is survived by his two children and their spouses: Mike & Peni Griffin of San Antonio, TX and Lisa & Norman Chambers of Snellville, GA, and also by his granddaughter, Morgan Griffin and her husband, Sebastian. Also surviving Charles are his and Merle's 'adopted' children, Rose, Ana, and Mark & Roselyn, and their families.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his older sister, Hester, and her husband, Jim; Merle, his wife of 60 years, and three of her siblings and their spouses who were more like brothers and sisters to Charles than in-laws.

The family will receive friends for visitation on Sunday, March 15 from 4-7pm at the A.S. Turner funeral home on North Decatur Road.

A funeral service will be held on March 16 at 2pm at Clarkston International Bible Church, with burial at Melwood Cemetery to follow the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the following in memory of Charles:

Ga. Tech Alumni Association: https://giving.gatech.edu/campaigns/63028/donations/new?&utm_source=ALMW26Q10NZ19M017UD

Georgia Baptist College of Nursing of Mercer University (Charles loved and supported Merle's alma mater and was a regular attendee at Alumni Day even after she passed in 2018): www.mercer.edu/give/ or call 678-547-6453

or mail to Georgia Baptist College of Nursing of Mercer University, 3001 Mercer University Drive, Atlanta, GA 30341

Charles would want to be remembered for being a devoted husband and a servant at Clarkston Baptist Church/Clarkston International Bible Church for 56 years.