James Griffin
LARSO News:
The Los Alamos Retired and Senior Organization (LARSO) will hold a memorial service for James Griffin at 2 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4, and the community is invited to attend.
Griffin, a member of the center, passed away unexpectedly and without family members. The senior center, more precisely the transportation department was his “family”, visiting with him often and taking him to appointments.
They could not allow their friend and former U.S. Army veteran to pass without recognition.
All those who knew Griffin as well as those who did not are welcome to pay tribute to this LARSO member who served his country.
The service will include readings from friends across the country and others who knew Griffin. Stories from his past, along with words from community members, will highlight his work and hobbies.
The memorial, led by the Rev. Keith Lewis from the United Church of Los Alamos, with assistance from American Legion Chaplain Sean Liming, will include music from Ken Hendricks of Home Instead, a presentation of the colors by the Naval JROTC unit at Los Alamos High School and more.
“The outpouring of love and kindness has been heartwarming,” LARSO Executive Director Bernadette Lauritzen said. “We will use this circumstance to reach out to community members who may also not have family. We’re working with Jenn Bartram of Final Wishes Known and Tim Rivera of Rivera Funeral Homes to host a presentation on end of life documents at 12:30 p.m., Nov. 8. We have also collaborated with the Los Alamos Fire Department on the Vial of Life, which will provide an assist to home bound residents. The service also will result in reverence for a former soldier, in a community steeped in history.”
The senior center has seen the donation of time, talent and donations to provide cookies for a light reception following the event. According to Lauritzen, the American Legion has graciously volunteered to perform an official flag folding ceremony and play taps for the service. It has been shared that Griffin served in the U.S. Army, in the early 1950s during the Korean War.
His other work life included being a switchman for the Southern Pacific Railroad in the San Francisco Bay area. He graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in mathematics in 1965. His laboratory work in the 1980s and 1990s included the Space Recharge program, Group C-3, the Computing Division, C-6, C-9, C-10 and Eng-7.
To learn more, contact the senior center at 505.662.8920 or email director@loslamosseniorcenter.com.