Miller Griffin of Columbus, Mississippi

October 12, 1940 - July 22, 2021

Andrew Miller Griffin

Columbus, MS

Andrew Miller Griffin, 80, died July 22, 2021 at his residence in Columbus, MS.

Funeral Services will be at 1:00 on Monday, July 26 at First Baptist Church, Columbus, MS in the Main Sanctuary. Visitation will be two hours prior to services at the church with graveside immediately following at Friendship Cemetery.

Miller was born October 12, 1940, in Hattiesburg, MS to the late E. Frank Griffin, Jr. and the late Martha

Miller Griffin.

Miller attended Franklin Academy and graduated from S.D. Lee High School in 1958. At Lee High he was an honor student as well as a three-year letterman in football and a two-year letterman in basketball and track. Miller was selected for the “All Big 8” Basketball team, the All State Basketball team and the MS High School All-Star Basketball team. He was the sports editor of the Lee High Mirror newspaper and was elected “Most Likely to Succeed”, “Most Intellectual” and “Most Versatile” his senior year. Miller went on to attend East Mississippi Junior College and played football for Coach Bull Sullivan. While at EMCC, Miller was voted Most Intellectual by his classmates and was an All-American Jr. College basketball player. He was honored to be inducted into the East MS Community College Hall of Fame in 2002. Miller earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Mississippi State University and was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.

During his senior year of college, he met his bride to be, Donna Price Griffin, in the Goose at the “W”.

Miller and Donna married on July 27, 1963. They have been married 58 years and have 3 children. They

settled in Columbus where Miller was a State Farm Insurance agent for 32 years. Before his retirement, Miller was honored to be only the second agent in Mississippi to have received the State Farm Crystal of Excellence award, State Farm’s highest agent award, for 3 years.

Miller’s passion was coaching children and helping them develop their athletic abilities. Over the years he volunteered as a coach for YMCA pee wee football and Gra-Y basketball, Propst Park youth baseball, jr. high football, and high school basketball and tennis. He coached his YMCA Gra-Y Basketball team to a state championship in 1989 and the Heritage Academy Tennis team to a state championship in 2001. Miller was honored as the Mississippi Tennis Association Coach of the Year in 2001. This dedicated passion earned him the name of “Coach” from his grandchildren. He was a life-long member of the Frank E. Phillips Memorial YMCA where he served on the board for many years. In 2004, Miller had the honor of serving as the 54 th Junior Auxiliary Pilgrimage Ball King. Miller was a member of First Baptist Church in Columbus, where he taught 5 th and 6 th grade Sunday school for 25 years and also served as deacon. Miller was also a long time member of the Columbus Lions Club.

He is survived by his wife, Donna Price Griffin of Columbus; children, Ann Michelle Griffin Moore (Mark),

Andrew Moak Griffin (Mary Frances), and Amanda Melynne Griffin Stone (Michael); grandchildren, Griffin Alexander Moore (Danielle), Andrew Penn Moore (Rebecca), Jamison Michael Stone, Lillian Miller Stone, Mary Riley Stone, Andrew Moak Griffin Jr, and Mary Hassell Griffin; sister, Ginger Darnell (Jim) ; brothers, Frank Griffin (Margaret) and Billy Ray Adams (DJ).

Honorary Pallbearers are George Abdo, Billy Ray Adams, Dr. Bob Bobo, Norris Boren, Charlie Box, Juddie Boyd, Bill Brigham, Bobby Caldwell, Charlie Cole, Billy Cox, Bobby D. Marshall, Earl Pace, Bobby Patrick, Brad Perkerson, Larry Pope, Lee Sanders, Larry Vasser.

The Pallbearers will be Griffin Moore, Penn Moore, Jamison Stone, Moak Griffin, Jr., Mark Moore, and Michael Stone.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation:

First Baptist Church Columbus/Impact Campaign: P.O. Box 829, Columbus, MS 39703

Frank E. Phillips Memorial YMCA: 602 2 nd Ave North, Columbus, MS 39701(www.columbus-ymca.com)