In Memoriam: D.H. Griffin, 1939 - 2024
17 September 2024
The US National Demolition Association (NDA) and countless demolition industry professionals are mourning the loss of D.H. Griffin, who passed away peacefully on September 15.
DH Griffin, founder of D.H. Griffin Wrecking Company. (PHOTO: Courtesy of D.H. Griffin and the Griffin family)
Described as a pillar of his community and affectionately known simply as ‘DH’, D.H. Griffin, was the founder of leading demolition firm D.H. Griffin Wrecking Company and a founding member of the NDA.
NDA President James Milburn, said: “In 1972, D.H. Griffin Wrecking Company was a pivotal founding member of our association. DH’s company significantly shaped the industry and our organization. His legacy serves as a shining example of a world-class wrecking company.
“We all strive to emulate DH’s success and hope to achieve even a fraction of his remarkable accomplishments.”
Known as an industry icon, DH was born and raised in Rockingham County, North Carolina. From an early age, DH learned the value of hard work, dedication, and of rising with the sun at the age of 9, when he began plowing the fields on a sharecropper’s farm with a mule.
DH discontinued his education in the 8th grade and continued working on the farm until he got a job working at Lorillard Tobacco. This is where he met his future wife and love of his life, Marylene Fields. They were married December 24,1958 and went on to have a beautiful life together and three wonderful children, Benita, Melody, and David Jr. whom they adored.
In 1959, DH and his wife, Marylene, started D.H. Griffin Wrecking Company with a pickup truck and a desire to get ahead. His first project was dismantling a church by hand and using the materials to build their first home.
He continued over the years, taking buildings down with hand-tools and recycling the materials. He built the company brick-by-recycled brick and a clothesline post at a time with the help of the best team members.
Under his leadership, the company grew from a small local operation to a nationwide powerhouse, known for handling some of the most complex and high-profile demolition projects in the country.
The NDA said: “His remarkable legacy will be deeply cherished and remembered by all who had the privilege of knowing him.”
For those that wish to pay their respects personally, details can be found here: David (D.H.) Griffin, Sr. Obituary - Greensboro, NC
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