December 8, 2024, 79, Goldsboro —
Ralph Ronald “Ronnie” Griffin, 79, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family at Kitty Askins Hospice Center on Sunday, December 8, 2024. Ronnie was born in Columbus, Georgia to the late Ralph and Madeline Collins Griffin on April 19, 1945.
Brigadier General Griffin completed a distinguished career of over thirty-eight years of service to the United States Marine Corps and the North Carolina National Guard.
General Griffin began his military career by enlisting in the United States Marine Corps in December 1963. Following duty in combat zones in Santo Domingo and Vietnam and a short break in service, he joined the North Carolina Army National Guard in 1973. He received his commission from the North Carolina Military Academy at Fort Bragg, NC in 1975. BG Griffin has held leadership positions from Platoon to Corps level including company commander of the 691st Maintenance Company; Battalion commander of the 730th Corps Support Battalion; Commander of the 139th Rear Operations Center (18th Airborne Corps); and Deputy Adjutant General of the North Carolina National Guard. He was called to state active duty five times for two ice storms and three hurricanes.
In 1990 at the request of the 18th Airborne Corps Commander (then) Major Griffin was called to active duty to serve one year with the 46th Corps Support Group (Forward), a regular Army unit, during Desert Storm and Desert Shield. He served at Fort Bragg, in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq.
General Griffin’s awards and decorations include The Legion of Merit; The Bronze Star Medal; The Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters; The Army Achievement Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters; The Good Conduct Medal (Marine Corps); The Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal with one Silver and two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters; National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Service Star; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; Vietnam Service Medal; Southwest Asia Service Medal with two Bronze Service Stars; Humanitarian Service Medal with Service Star; Army Service Ribbon; Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon; Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with “60” Device; Kuwait Liberation Medal-Saudi Arabia; Kuwait Liberation Medal-Kuwait; Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army); and Navy Unit Citation.
His state awards include The North Carolina Distinguished Service Medal; The Meritorious Service Medal with two Gold Hornet’s Nests; the North Carolina Commendation Medal; the North Carolina Achievement Medal; the Adjutant General’s Meritorious Achievement Service Ribbon; the North Carolina State Active Duty Ribbon with Numeral IV Device; North Carolina Service Award with Gold and Silver Hornet’s Nests; North Carolina National Guard Governor’s Unit Citation; and The North Carolina National Guard Outstanding Unit Award.
General Griffin was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by both Governor Hunt and Governor Easley. He was inducted into the North Carolina Military Academy Hall of Fame in 1999.
Brigadier General Griffin is a graduate of Liberty University, the US Army Command and General Staff College, the US Army War College, The US Army War College National Security Issues Seminar, and The Program for Senior Executives in National and International Security at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
In his civilian career, he worked many years in the automobile business as manager and general manager for several car dealerships. When he returned from Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1991 he started his own used car dealership and sold it in 2004. He is a life member and past commander of Post 9959 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, a member of the Military Officers Association of America, a life member of the North Carolina National Guard Association, and the National Guard Association of the United States. He is also a member and past president of the Goldsboro Exchange Club, a member and past president of the Grantham Air Club, and a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. He is a member of the Harvard Alumni Association. Ronnie also served six years as a member of the North Carolina Fire and Rescue Commission.
He and his wife, Annalee, lived in Goldsboro. She passed away in August of 2023. Annalee served as the North Carolina License Plate Agent for over twenty-six years.
The family will receive friends on Saturday, December 14, 2024, from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. at The First Church, 1100 The First Church Road, Goldsboro. A service celebrating Ronnie’s life will be held at 2:00 pm in the sanctuary with Rev. Bill Rose officiating. Inurnment will be held on Monday, December 16, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. at the Eastern Carolina State Veterans Cemetery with full military honors.
Ronnie is survived by his sons, James Griffin, Michael Griffin, Jeffrey Griffin and wife, Sheila; daughters, Mary Julia Wells and Laura Meyer and husband, Jason; grandchildren, Maggie Schilling, Mary Schilling, Wade Mandeville, Braydon Meyer, Shawn Griffin, Andrea Walsh and Victoria Buckner; great-grandchildren, Kaiden, Oliver, Elias and Zander Walsh; brother, Lamar Griffin; and sisters, Kathy Higdon, Carlene English, Victoria Strickland and Linda Fisher.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given in Ronnie’s memory to Kitty Askins Hospice Center, 107 Handley Park Ct, Goldsboro, NC 27534.
Services are entrusted to Seymour Funeral Home and Cremation Service.
