Griffith, Jerry
August 29, 1932-February 3, 2010
Bentonville, Arkansas
Jerry E. “Griff” Griffith, formerly of Bentonville, died February 3, 2010, in Corona, CA. He
was born August 29, 1932, in Hiwasse, Arkansas, the son of Charles Griffith and Fern Yates
Griffith. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Deloras, in 2006, after fifty-five years
of marriage. He is survived by two children, Nancy Vokins of Corona, California, and Scott
Griffith of Franktown, Colorado, and two grandchildren, Lee and Katie Wyatt of Fayetteville,
Arkansas.
Aside the last five years of Jerry's life, he was a lifelong resident of Bentonville. He was a
member of the Bentonville Fire Department for 25 years and served as Fire Chief for 14 years,
in a part-paid capacity from 1972 until 1978 and then as the department’s first full-time fire
chief until his retirement in 1986. The son-in-law of a former Fire Chief (Bryan Maples) and the
grandson-in-law of a former Fire Chief (Jake Kohley), working for the fire department was
where Jerry found his true life's passion in serving his community and fellow man. His
dedication is remembered by many firefighters yet today, staying with a fire scene long
after all of the others had gone, watching to make sure that the fire was contained and no
longer a threat.
One of the most important decisions Griffith made as chief was to bring the ambulance service
into the fire department. This allowed for the
astronomical growth of the department, which for years had hired only three drivers, one for
each of three shifts. The addition of the ambulance service allowed an immediate increase to
nine employees, and that one decision led to a department that is currently staffed with sixty
firefighters, over half of which are paramedics, and allowing the Bentonville Ambulance
response area to be one of the best staffed and trained in the area.
Griffith was the owner of Griffith Printing and Litho in Bentonville from 1965 to 1978.
Following his retirement from the Fire Department 1986, he worked at the Wal-Mart general
office in loss prevention.
A visitation and “Time for Remembrance” will be held in celebration of Griff’s life on March
19th, 2010 from 2:00 to 5:00PM at Stockdale Funeral Services in Rogers. Come as you are to
share your memories.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Bentonville Fire Department Statue Fund, 800
SW “A”, Bentonville, AR 72712 or to the Jerry Griffith Memorial Fund at http://www.alz.
org/join_the_cause_tributes.asp
was born August 29, 1932, in Hiwasse, Arkansas, the son of Charles Griffith and Fern Yates
Griffith. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Deloras, in 2006, after fifty-five years
of marriage. He is survived by two children, Nancy Vokins of Corona, California, and Scott
Griffith of Franktown, Colorado, and two grandchildren, Lee and Katie Wyatt of Fayetteville,
Arkansas.
Aside the last five years of Jerry's life, he was a lifelong resident of Bentonville. He was a
member of the Bentonville Fire Department for 25 years and served as Fire Chief for 14 years,
in a part-paid capacity from 1972 until 1978 and then as the department’s first full-time fire
chief until his retirement in 1986. The son-in-law of a former Fire Chief (Bryan Maples) and the
grandson-in-law of a former Fire Chief (Jake Kohley), working for the fire department was
where Jerry found his true life's passion in serving his community and fellow man. His
dedication is remembered by many firefighters yet today, staying with a fire scene long
after all of the others had gone, watching to make sure that the fire was contained and no
longer a threat.
One of the most important decisions Griffith made as chief was to bring the ambulance service
into the fire department. This allowed for the
astronomical growth of the department, which for years had hired only three drivers, one for
each of three shifts. The addition of the ambulance service allowed an immediate increase to
nine employees, and that one decision led to a department that is currently staffed with sixty
firefighters, over half of which are paramedics, and allowing the Bentonville Ambulance
response area to be one of the best staffed and trained in the area.
Griffith was the owner of Griffith Printing and Litho in Bentonville from 1965 to 1978.
Following his retirement from the Fire Department 1986, he worked at the Wal-Mart general
office in loss prevention.
A visitation and “Time for Remembrance” will be held in celebration of Griff’s life on March
19th, 2010 from 2:00 to 5:00PM at Stockdale Funeral Services in Rogers. Come as you are to
share your memories.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Bentonville Fire Department Statue Fund, 800
SW “A”, Bentonville, AR 72712 or to the Jerry Griffith Memorial Fund at http://www.alz.
org/join_the_cause_tributes.asp
