Raymond D. Griffith, age 88, of Kansas City, KS., passed away on Sunday, July 29th, 2018 at his home. Memorial Service will be 11am Friday, Aug 3rd at the Alden-Harrington Funeral Home, burial Holy Angels Cemetery. Memorial Contributions can be made to the Humane Society of Kansas City, KS.
Raymond was born on October 15, 1929 in Conway, Arkansas and was the younger of two children born to Faber & Wirta (Ledford) Griffith. Raymond was raised near Mountain Home, Arkansas and graduated from Mountain Home High School in the class of 1947. He worked on the construction of the Norfolk and Bull Shoals Lake Dams. In 1950 he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and served stateside during the Korean War. In 1951, while stationed in Texas, he married Wava Jennings in Fort Worth, Texas. After his honorable discharge from the service they lived in Amarillo, TX, Wichita, KS and California while he worked for Boeing, before settling in Kansas City, Kansas when he took a job for TWA. Raymond retired in 1991 and was proud to be a lifetime member of the I.A.M. Machinist Union, Local #1650. During his retirement his wife Wava and he, were “Winter Texans” for over 20 years. Raymond was an avid fisherman, camper and all around outdoorsman.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Evelyn Morris, and one nephew Larry Morris.
Survivors include his wife of 67 years, Wava Griffith of the home, four children; Michael R. Griffith and wife Debra, Vicki M. Griffith-Smith all of Kansas City, KS., Brenda A. Murphy and husband Tony and Eric V. Griffith and wife Gloria all of Basehor, KS., five grandchildren; Christopher and his wife Kimberly, Emily, Lauren and her husband Phillip, Shawn, and Lucas and his wife Emily, five great-granddaughters; Olivia, Dalilah, Allison, Lucia and Elizabeth, and a host of extended family and friends.