Francis Griffin, high school teacher

Francis V. Griffin, 80, of Erdenheim, a retired Navy reservist, high school teacher, and civic activist, died Sunday at home of a heart attack.

Mr. Griffin joined the Navy in 1946 and served aboard the aircraft carrier Valley Forge. He was recalled to active duty during the Korean War. In 1980 he retired as a commander in the Naval Reserve with a combined active and reserve service of 34 years.

A native of Germantown, Mr. Griffin graduated from La Salle College High School, where he was a champion backstroker on the swim team. He earned a bachelor's degree and was on the swim team at La Salle University. He earned a master's degree in education from Temple University.

In 1957 he married Helen Meehan, whom he had met in La Salle University's library, where she was working.

Mr. Griffin taught at Audubon High School and at La Salle College High School before joining the faculty of Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School. For 29 years he taught U.S. history and for 20 years also coached the boys swim team at Plymouth-Whitemarsh. He retired in 1987.

For 14 years, while teaching high school, Mr. Griffin was an instructor in the English department at La Salle University's evening division. After retiring from Plymouth-Whitemarsh, he taught history and government for two years at Gwynedd-Mercy College. For 10 years he was active with the religious instruction program at St. Genevieve's School in Flourtown.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Mr. Griffin spent summers as head lifeguard at Kelly Pool in Fairmount Park. He coached Flourtown-Erdenheim Little League teams and Springfield Township's girls softball teams.

From 1962 to 1989 he was a Democratic committeeman in Springfield Township, Montgomery County. For years he'd say somewhat seriously that the township was so heavily Republican, Democratic committee meetings were held in a phone booth, his son Francis Jr. said.

In 1989 Mr. Griffin was elected district justice for Springfield Township, becoming the first Democrat to hold townshipwide office since Reconstruction, his son said. He was reelected in 1995. When he retired in 1998 he was honored by Springfield and Cheltenham Townships as the Democratic Man of the Year.

For 10 years Mr. Griffin was master of ceremonies for the Flourtown-Erdenheim Memorial Day celebration. In his 70s, he rode a fire truck dressed as Santa Claus in the Erdenheim Civic Association holiday event.

Mr. Griffin served on the boards of Oreland Swim Club and the Springfield Township Historical Society and was past president of the Springfield High School Booster Club.

In addition to his wife and son, Mr. Griffin is survived by sons James, Michael and Stephen; daughters Kate Stavis and Rachel; and seven grandchildren.

Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. today and from 9 a.m. tomorrow at St. Genevieve Church, 1225 Bethlehem Pike, Flourtown. A Funeral Mass follows at 11 a.m. tomorrow.

Memorial donations may be made to the Francis V. Griffin Memorial Fund, La Salle College High School, 8605 Cheltenham Ave., Wyndmoor, Pa. 19038.