Tim Griffin

Profile Updated: May 28, 2021
Residing In: Salt Springs, FL USA
Spouse/Partner: Sarah Jane (married since 1973)
Occupation: Vice President, Fagen, Inc - Indust. Construction
Children: Candice (1980)
Comments:

Disclaimer: I found "Classmates" reunion website before I found this site so I cut and pasted my update from there.

I think this history of where I have been is therapeutic for me and probably extremely boring for others but here goes.

Even when I was a preschooler living in St Nicholas on Tiber Avenue my parents, of a very large catholic family, had to place a body harness on me and tie me to the back yard on a rope. Trust me they were not cruel, I was a handful. I would simply not stay home. They would loose me for hours on end and comb the neighborhood to find me. Lord knows where I would be. A neighbors dock,? Down at the local graveyard? Walking up to the Shopping Center to hang out at Preston Drugs? I went to Kindergarten at "Little House in the Forest" in Arlington run by Mrs. Chaffin who also lived in St. Nicholas just behind us.

When I was in early school years I bounced off of the walls. I am sure had Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD).

In the first and second grade I went to Assumption, a private catholic school. After two years was sent to St Joseph's Academy in the Fall of 1960, a boys catholic boarding school in Mandarin (Loretto) to repeat the second grade. I really liked that small rural school run by the Sisters of St Joseph but missed my family. It closed in 1967 and is now torn down. But I had many fond memories of that community in the early 60s.

After St Josephs Academy I went back to Assumption School for a year then went to my first public School, Hendricks Avenue for the fifth and sixth grade. I remember bringing Cathy Rutledge to the Patrol Boy Dance and the heart throb of every young boy at Hendrick's "Heather Harms" I also remember some serious paper drives. Mrs Wilson was the principle and Mrs Walker was the teacher most feared and loved. For some strange reason I wanted to get on the Hebrew School bus with Lanny and the guys and, much to my parents dismay,wanted to become Jewish while I was there. I had a lot of varied friends. My most remembered friend was Josh who was already a hopelessly serious Beatles Fan the first year they were out. We went to his house after school and listened over and over to every note while we practiced the guitar.

My parents enrolled me into the Cotillion at the South Side Women's Club and for a few years (maybe 8th thru tenth grade) I put on my white jacket, flower and name tag and danced with the debutantes.

According to Wikipedia "In the United States, Cotillion has become training that children and young adults attend to learn manners and proper social behavior in the context of formal dance. The participants dress in formal attire and some cotillions emphasize the use of white gloves. Cotillion takes the form of classes and parties. These programs use dance as an interactive tool that breaks down inhibitions and teaches important social skills." Needless to say dancing body to body to "Wendy" and "Luey Lui" was pretty hot back then.

We also attended dances at the club located at(or under)the Southside Pool next to the Southside Library on Hendricks Avenue WOW, were the youth hormones going crazy back then. The flirt level was on "high alert".

I always had a serious wanderlust from an early age and wanted to meet new people, go to different schools and unfortunately ran away from home/boarding school a lot.

My school buddies at Bishop Kenny will remember when I ran away to New Orleans for 7 weeks. When at Carlisle Military I ran of to California for a couple of weeks. When I came back, Mr Sturdevant threw me out of his class for accusing him of gay behavior and I was placed in the Drafting class, that I now know was the beginning of my career in industrial construction. TJ (Sister Thomas Joseph), the principle, decided that Latin might not be my forte and placed me (a freshman) in a Juniors class to learn how to make blueprints.

I also went to Lincoln High School in San Franciso and worked as a mail clerk for Dodge Construction Reports on Post Street. At night I went to Billy Grahams Filmore West and saw some of the great legends on stage such as Jefferson Airplane, Country Joe and the Fish, Grateful Dead,Crosby Stills and Nash,It's a Beautiful Day and others. I also attended the concert at Altimont Speedway by the Rolling Stones. It turned into a bummer for me by late afternoon. I was near the stage and things got too rawdy so I left the concert and hitchhiked back to San Francisco. I later heard that the Hells Angels killed a guy on stage. There was a movie of the event called "Give me Shelter"

I went back to Wolfson. I dropped out in the Spring while in the eleventh grade and got my GED a year later through Florida Jr College. I went on to Jr college and was elected to Student Government where I served as Representative of Student Services.

I suppose one of my greatest regrets is that i did not really have a Graduating Class of friends I grew up with. I moved around schools a lot. Most of the graduating class at Wolfson and Bishop Kenny and Carlisle Military are the kids I remember fondly and grew up with.

This same wanderlust has projected itself throughout my adult life and careers. I have mainly worked in industrial construction trades in pipe fitting and tank construction. By the end of my twenties I moved up to construction management and have done project management of major industrial projects for most of the last 25 years.

Fortunately I have remained in my first marriage and have been married for 47 yrs to my soul mate Sarah Jane since 1973. She was 23 when we met and had a 4 year old son who became my son. We also had a daughter in 1980 who is a sweetheart. I met Sarah through my sister Shirley in Jacksonville. Sarah Jane makes me whole. We love to vacation around the world. Foreign travel is our favorite pastime.

In the few recent years I have been construction Project Manager on three Ethanol Plants in Nebraska, Minnesota and Iowa totaling around $350M

I just completed a 60M construction contract in Gillette Wyoming on a new 430 Megawatt coal fired Power Plant.

Currently I am the Project Manager for a new 100 MegaWatt Biomass Power Plant in Gainesville, FL and will complete the Project at the end of 2013.

I don't know if my old friends and acquaintances remember me fondly or not, but I remember most fondly and have been enriched by my experiences and contacts throughout my life.

I enjoy 4 wheeling, Kayaking, Aquariums Photography and taking care of plants. Life is good.

1/17/2010 - Looks like my next assignment is Building an Ethanol plant in Dunafoldvar, Hungary (About 60 miles below Budapest). I should leave for Hungary this Spring.

12/4/10 - I was reassigned to preside over the construction of a Biomass Power plant in Gainesville, FL - Moved to Gainesville last week.

10/10/13 - I have completed the project in Gainesville, Fl. It was a great success. I have recently been promoted to Vice President of Construction. Sarah and I just returned from 5 weeks vacation in Asia and am about to start my next project in Navada Iowa building a "first of a kind" Cellulosic Ethanol Plant for DuPont.

May 10, 2016 I Semi-Retired from Construction. I still hold licenses for the company, but basically retired.

Dec 15, 2017 - Purchased a house in Deltona, Florida where my wife Sarah and I live.

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Tim

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May 28, 2021 at 11:17 AM

Great Photo Lynn. Hopefully life has been great for you.

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Happy upcoming Birthday Jeri

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Happy Birthday June

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Posted: Dec 17, 2013 at 12:31 AM
Standing on the Jinshanling Great Wall 3 hrs from Beijing
Posted: Dec 17, 2013 at 12:31 AM
Posted: Dec 17, 2013 at 12:31 AM
Standing in a Train Station between London and Liverpool waiting on my connection train.
Posted: Dec 17, 2013 at 12:31 AM
Standing by a ant mound (Termites) near West Ahoada Nigeria
Posted: Dec 17, 2013 at 12:31 AM
Me, My escort Nigerian Businessman and my Mopol body guard at a construction site in Ahoada Nigeria.
Posted: Dec 17, 2013 at 12:31 AM
My wife Sarah on a boat trip we took on Loch Ness in northern Scotland
Posted: Dec 17, 2013 at 12:31 AM
Reading a menu at a "coffee shoppe" in Amsterdam. Actually, they had more than coffee.
Posted: Dec 17, 2013 at 12:31 AM
4 Wheeling in Bighorn Mountains Wyoming
Posted: Dec 17, 2013 at 12:31 AM
Relaxing in Jamaica