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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The city of Lubbock lost a venerated entrepreneur |
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and philanthropist with the passing of Bobbie Ray Griffin on June 7, |
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2017, at the age of 87; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Matador at the height of the Great |
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Depression, "Rip" Griffin learned the value of hard work at a young |
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age through a series of jobs that included delivering newspapers |
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and driving a truck; he graduated from Lubbock High School in 1948 |
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and subsequently played semiprofessional baseball in a traveling |
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oil league, and he continued in the sport while serving his country |
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for four years as a member of the United States Army; following his |
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honorable discharge in 1953, he enrolled at Texas Tech University, |
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where he earned a bachelor's degree in business administration in |
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1955; while a student, he kept the books for a trailer company and |
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transported gasoline; and |
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WHEREAS, After college, Mr. Griffin worked for Texaco before |
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opening his first truck stop in Lubbock in 1962; two years later, he |
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founded the Rip Griffin Truck Service Center, and he eventually |
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expanded the business to include not only a chain of truck stops |
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across the western United States but also a number of truck |
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dealerships; in 1989, he ventured into wholesale fuel storage and |
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transportation with the establishment of Pro Petroleum; and |
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WHEREAS, Believing deeply in the value of both education and |
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sports, Mr. Griffin gave freely of his time and resources in behalf |
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of Lubbock Christian University, on whose board of trustees he |
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served for 42 years, and Texas Tech University; his loyal support |
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was recognized with the dedication of the Rip Griffin Center by LCU |
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in 2000 and Rip Griffin Park by Tech in 2012; he was also a faithful |
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sponsor of the Lubbock Hubbers professional baseball club and a |
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staunch advocate of the Children's Home of Lubbock and the Boys & |
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Girls Club of Lubbock, which inducted him into its Alumni Hall of |
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Fame in 2009; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Griffin was a devoted husband to his wife, |
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Geneva, and over the decades, their union was blessed with 5 |
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children, David, Mark, Julie, Jill, and Suzanne, as well as 14 |
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grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren; and |
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WHEREAS, A man of great warmth, humility, and generosity, Rip |
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Griffin left an indelible imprint on Lubbock and touched the lives |
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of countless fellow citizens, and those who were fortunate enough |
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to share in his love and friendship will forever hold him close in |
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their hearts; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of |
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Bobbie Ray Griffin and extend heartfelt sympathy to the members of |
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his family: to his wife, Geneva Griffin; to his children, David |
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Griffin and his wife, Lorna, Mark Griffin and his wife, Claudia, |
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Julie Pointer and her husband, Steve, Jill Patterson and her |
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husband, Bill, and Suzanne Knipp and her husband, Jeff; to his |
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grandchildren, Ryan, Elizabeth, Michael, and Jeffrey Griffin, |
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Lauren Hamel, Emily Owen, Keeli Garza, Clay and Koby Pointer, |
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Hunter, Hayden, and Houston Patterson, and Heather Guerry; to his |
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eight great-grandchildren; and to his many other relatives and |
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friends; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Bobbie Ray |
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Griffin. |