Plan for the Future
John “Jack” Aloysius Griffin, 97, of Chatham, NJ, passed away on Sunday, August 6, 2023, surrounded by his five cherished children and their laughter.
Jack was born on December 4, 1925, in Jersey City, NJ. He was the son of William Louis Griffin and Mary Rose Flaherty, and the brother of the late Marie Louise Griffin and William Griffin. He grew up in Jersey City, where he met his wife of 69 years, Pamela Peters Griffin, at a Christmas celebration in the early 1940s. Jack was a proud alumnus of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, as well as a veteran of the United States Navy. He built a career as a Retail Stock Broker at Merrill Lynch in New York City, while also serving as a dedicated volunteer on the Millburn-Short Hills First Aid Squad.
Jack and Pam were married on August 9, 1951, at St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Jersey City. They moved to Short Hills in 1958, where they raised their family and forged numerous long-standing friendships, many of which are still cultivated by their children. They settled in Chatham in 2004.
Jack was a former member of St. Rose of Lima Church in Short Hills, NJ, and most recently was a parishioner of Corpus Christi Church in Chatham, NJ. He was predeceased by his devoted wife, Pam, and their effervescent granddaughter, Abigail Mae Rollenhagen. He is survived by his children and their spouses: Pamela McCullough; John Peter Griffin; Carol Appino and husband Perry; Joan Griffin and husband Andrew Mayo; and Elizabeth Rollenhagen. He was the beloved “Bop” to grandchildren Kelly Otte, husband Neil, and great-granddaughters Cecelia and Madeleine; Katherine Lewis and husband William; Anne McCullough; Sara Rubin; and Matthew Rubin.
Jack’s greatest joy and the source of his biggest smiles was always his family. His devotion to his wife Pam was beyond compare, a love story spanning 80 years. Together, they built the foundation of a multigenerational institution grounded in compassion, service, a love for education, and an appreciation for the gift of time spent together. When his granddaughters happily shared that they were engaged to their future husbands, he gleefully and heartfully shared, “I hope you have as many happy years as Nana and me.” In their golden years, Pam and Jack would hold hands and sneak out for ice cream sundaes at Friendly’s. He had a special talent for making a space feel warm and every person feel welcome. Jack was at his happiest when celebrating holidays with his family and the inevitable surprise guest. He was particularly emboldened and animated when the table was full of family and good food – especially dessert.
The family would like to extend their sincere gratitude to Jack’s caretakers, Fatou Soare, Nikki Lawal-Mason, Kaosara Sanni, and Julita Banfo.
