Dr. Sidney Till Griffin passed away November 19, 2015 at McLeod Hospice House in Florence, S.C. A memorial service celebrating his life was held at the Lamar United Methodist Church at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, November 22, followed by a reception and visitation in the church fellowship hall directed by Belk Funeral Home.
Dr. Griffin and his wife of over 50 years, Faye Fields Griffin, lived most of their married life in their beloved Lamar, S.C. but most recently were residents of Charleston, S.C. Born May 17, 1932 in Florence, he was the son of the late Roland Cecil and Mary Till Griffin.
He was an honor graduate of McClenaghan High School, and went on to study at the University of South Carolina before earning a degree in Medicine from the Medical University of South Carolina in 1959. He served two years active duty in the U.S. Army, and then as an officer in the South Carolina National Guard.
After internships at Walter Reed Medical Center and Spartanburg General Hospital, Dr. Griffin began practicing family medicine in Lamar, where he spent fifty years caring for the people of Lamar before retiring in 2010. He became a Family Practice Board Certified Physician in 1979. He was a member of the American, Southern, and South Carolina Medical Associations as well as the American Academy of Family Practice. Dr. Griffin loved his profession, and he deemed being able to serve his fellowman as a true gift from God. Throughout his years of practice, he enjoyed mentoring high school and college students who aspired to careers in the medical field. He derived great joy from the professional and personal accomplishments of those young people who had worked in his office; they are now adults and served as his pallbearers. He also served as a preceptor for M.U.S.C. students and residents in the McLeod’s Family Practice Program.
Dr. Griffin was dedicated to Lamar and Darlington County and involved in many endeavors to improve the quality of life for all people. He served as a board member and volunteer physician for the Darlington County Free Medical Clinic; past Chairman of the Darlington County Ambulance Commission; founding board member and past President of the Lamar Country Club; President of the Lamar High School Booster Club; and team physician for high school athletic teams. He was a member of the Lamar Civitan Club, which honored him in 2007 with its Tournament of Champions recognition. He had served on the advisory board for S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, was a member of the Board of Visitors of M.U.S.C. and was currently a member of M.U.S.C.’s Society of 1824. For many years he served on the board of Carolina Bank, and was chairman of its Executive Committee.
The Griffin family members were long-time members of Lamar United Methodist Church, where Dr. Griffin was a faithful servant in numerous leadership roles as well as being a choir member, a Sunday School teacher, and President of the United Methodist Men. He had also served on the S.C. Conference Council on Ministries of the United Methodist Church. Most recently, he was a member of Bethel United Methodist Church in Charleston.
In tribute to his dedicated service, Dr. Griffin was the recipient of many awards and recognitions. The Town of Lamar declared November 21, 1972 as Dr. Griffin Day which was a community-wide celebration honoring the town’s only doctor who was always there to minister to his patients no matter the time of day or night. The Pee Dee District of the S.C. D.H.E.C. named him the 1990 Volunteer Physician of the Year. In 1995, the S.C. Board of Education recognized him for significant contributions to S.C. public schools. He was the first recipient of the Elena Fields Award for Lifetime Achievement by the Darlington County Mental Health Association in 2001. He was awarded the 2005 Pioneer Award by S.C. Rural Health Association. The Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation of Florence funded an addition to the Lamar Library given in honor of Dr. Griffin and the library conference room bears his name. In 1997, he was awarded the Order of the Palmetto, the state’s highest civilian award, by Governor David M. Beasley.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his two daughters, Dr. Sarah Griffin and her husband Greg Linke of Anderson, and Lucia Miles and her husband, David of Charleston; his three adored grandsons Griffin Miles, Andrew Linke and Luke Miles; his sister, Jacqueline G. Way and her husband Eddie of Pawley’s Island; and his sister-in-law Ethel Jane Reynolds and brother-in-law Dr. George Fields; as well as extended family Drs. Ken and Alison Evans, Dr. Lucius Heriot, and numerous nieces and nephews that he loved beyond measure. He was predeceased by his sister, Dr. Mary Roland Griffin.
Memorials may be made to Lamar United Methodist Church, PO Box 555, Lamar, S.C. 29069 or the Friends of Lamar Library, PO Box 362, Lamar, S.C. 29069.
A guestbook is available online at www.belkfuneralhome.com.
