F. Hastings Griffin Jr.
( August 26, 1921 - September 18, 2016 )
FRANK HASTINGS GRIFFIN Jr.

Attorney, Serviceman, Athlete and Singer

F. Hastings Griffin Jr. aged 95 died peacefully early Sunday morning September 18th 2016 at his home in Newtown Square. He was born on August 26, 1921 in Swarthmore PA to Frank Hastings Griffin and Priscilla Goodwyn Griffin and he lived in the Philadelphia area his entire life. He was educated at The Episcopal Academy (class of ’39) Princeton University (class of ’43) and Harvard Law School (class of ’48) graduating with top scholastic honors. He served as a First Lieutenant in the Marine Corps during the Second World War and earned 14 battle stars. He entered the law firm of Dechert, Price and Rhoades in 1948 and in eight years won a partnership and a secure reputation as a winning trial lawyer. He found time from his busy law practice for lawn tennis, court tennis and squash, winning 23 national championships across all three sports. He was a lifelong equestrian who rode to hounds, and as a youth he won the Puissance Class at The National Horse Show in Madison Square Garden. He also found time for singing. He was a Tenor who sang with the Orpheus Club of Philadelphia for 65 years serving as a member of the executive committee, vice president, president. He was a member of the Savoy Company of Philadelphia where he sang leads, served as president and stage directed for 16 seasons. He was the great grandson of John Tyler, 10th President of the United States.
Hastings, as he was known, also served as a public servant when in 1962 he was appointed by President Judge Eugene V. Allessandroni as first assistant to chief prosecutor W. Wilson White in the Court’s corruption probe of Philadelphia’s City Hall. That introduction into the rough and tumble politics of Philadelphia was enough to ward him off from politics for the rest of his life.
He was married to the former Mary Dercum Mifflin for 64 years until her death in 2006. They had four children, Frank H. Griffin III (deceased), Elizabeth G. Drake, Mary L. Griffin and Samuel W. M. Griffin. He married Margaret Slaymaker Dayton in 2007. He is survived by three of his children, two daughters-in-law (Holly H. Griffin, and Jeffory H. Griffin) one son-in-law (Van Drake), five grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.
A celebration of the life of this remarkable man will be held at the Church of The Redeemer, Bryn Mawr, PA on Saturday October 22, 2016 at 11:00 am. Internment will be private. In lieu of flowers please help us honor Hasting's legacy by establishing a memorial scholarship with the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. Donations can be made through www.mcsf.org