Thomas Marvin Griggs, 78, passed away on July 20th, 2024. Tom, better known as "Papa," was born November 23rd, 1945, in Greenville, GA. He is survived by his patient, loving, and dedicated wife, Irene, who, fortunately for Tom, could find beauty in anyone; his sons, Scott, Shawn (Whitney), and Tom (Anna); his brother Bill (Cheryl); his grandchildren, Dana, Alexis, Rachel, Miles, Tyler, and Stella; his great-granddaughter, Taryn; and a plethora of nieces and nephews. Tom is pre-deceased by his parents, John and Norma Griggs; his brother, John Griggs; and the transmission of his '66 Chevelle, which Tom lovingly sacrificed to teach his future bride to drive a stick.

Tom graduated from Greenville High School, where he was a star baseball, basketball, and tennis player—no small feat in his class of twenty-one students. He briefly attended the University of Georgia, but his relationship with classes quickly ran its course. Tom and UGA decided to take an academic break; fate and fortune intervened, and he met the love of his life, eventually winning her over with his wit and the aforementioned Chevelle.

Tom was a passionate amateur videographer of his sons' youth sports games. He was a prolific purveyor of the word moron, pronounced "mow-ron," his singular diction lovingly used to describe the questionable daily decisions of his sons and their cohorts. He loved his grandchildren and was a regular at Grandparents' Days, sporting events, and dance recitals.

It should be noted that Tom and UGA football never took a break. He never missed a game, his wardrobe only knew one color, and no liquid was good enough to be consumed if not delivered by some UGA-logoed chalice.

Tom passed away peacefully, surrounded by Irene and his boys, and maybe more importantly, having lived long enough to see his beloved Dawgs return to their rightful glory in recent years.

Many heartfelt thanks go out to the Kennestone Hospital ICU nurses and Wellstar Tranquility Hospice for treating Tom with care, comfort, and dignity.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Episcopal Church of the Annunciation, 1673 Jamerson Road, Marietta, GA on Saturday, August 3rd, 2024, at 11:00 AM, with a reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Tom's name to the Episcopal Church of the Annunciation's Memorial Fund. http://www.ecamarietta.org/https-www-paypal-com-cgi-bin-webscrcmd-s-xclickhosted-button-id2p34dwhzf7qjwsourceurl/