Martin Roy Griffin, Jr.

McFarland--Martin R. Griffin, Jr, Marty, born August 12, 1942 to Martin and Julia on the island of St. Croix in the Virgin Islands.   Marty married his wife, Diane (Bong) in 1980.   They have been best of friends for 38 years and married for 28 years.   When asked what was important to him to be in his obituary he said ""I loved my children and my wife more than anything else"".   Marty, loved other things such as helping young people excel in sports. He volunteered as a coach on the east Madison little league, with youth Hockey and helped with the McFarland High School golf team where his youngest son was a member, and volunteered with the First-Tee at Monona GC.   Marty was quite the athlete himself through out life.   He loved baseball, he was an avid skydiver, instructor and parachute rigger at the Seven Hills Skydiving Club in the town of York., and he loved to play golf.   Marty saw the world as a military dependant and when his family returned to Wisconsin to make their home; he attended and graduated from Monona Grove High School.   Marty was proud to say he served in the US Army.   He felt blessed and was especially proud of his 6 children and proudly told others how great they all are and showed family pictures each time he opened his wallet.   He loved his 8 grandchildren and his 2 great grandchildren dearly.   Since his retirement he could be seen nearly every weekend golfing in the Yahara Hills Association events with his youngest son and his 2 friends. If you heard the starter at Yahara announce Griffin, Griffin, Krikelas and Jiles you knew it must be the weekend.   Most week days he would be on the golf course with his MARGA friends, wife or one of his children golfing and dispensing advice on how to improve their game.    He looked forward to his grandchildren golfing with him as they grew.   Marty loved family and being surrounded during the holidays by them.  Special to him and to his wife's family, was Thanksgiving, where Marty enjoyed making the dinner for the entire family. He made sure that friends of the family that might not have a place to go on this day were always welcome to join us.   Last year there were 57 people at his home that he cooked for, a tradition he picked up from his mother in-law, Liz.  Marty is survived by his loving wife Diane (Bong), his children; Troy (Karen) Gordon Wi, Denise Donaldson, Panama City Beach, FL, Vonda Brannen Panama City Beach Fl, Cory Spooner, Wi, Felicia (Jim) Schoenenberger, Middleton and Marty III (Megan) Madison, Wi, his grand children; Danielle (Dustin), Bobby, Alicia, Sara, Carly, McKenna, Cameron and Taylor and his great grandchildren; Kailee, Kaden and Madison.  He is further survived by his Father, Martin, Mother Julia and sisters Julia Manz (Roy) and Carol Griffin., his father in-law Joseph Bong, Madison and his Sister in-laws Sonya Quamme, Debra Baker, Loreli Bong and Lindy Mueller.   He is also survived by many nieces and nephews and many many good friends. He is welcomed to the gates of heaven by his brother Hughie, mother in-law, Elizabeth (bong), sisters' in-law Sharon Hotchkiss and Shirley (Shana) Nehmer, his Aunt and Uncle Anna and Clarence and his Uncle and Aunt Hugh and Mildred.   This next thanksgiving we will come together to celebrate and give thanks that you were in our lives, though not long enough.   If we didn't always tell you, ""we love you and have always been proud of you, we show your picture around too -- proudly exclaiming he is our; husband, dad, father in-law, son, son in-law, brother, brother in-law, uncle, grandpa and great grandpa and friend"".   Marty made 2 promises to me, his wife, first, that, if he can, he will visit me in my dreams and, the other, that when it is my time to leave this earth, he will come to take me home.   So, my love of my life, I wait to see you in my dreams and to eventually coming home to you.   Loving You Forever and Always, my best friend, no matter what.   I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads its white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. It is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch him until at length it hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other. Then someone at my side says: ""There, he is gone!"" ""Gone where?"" Gone from my sight. That is all. He is just as large in mast and hull and spar as he was when he left my side and he is just as able to bear his load of living freight to his destined port. His diminished size is in me, not in him.  And just at the moment when someone at my side says: ""There, he is gone!"" there are other eyes watching him coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout: ""Here he comes! That's him! Here he comes! "" Funeral services will be held at 11 am, MONDAY, January 12, 2009 at Cress Funeral Service, 3325 E. Washington Ave., with Pastor Heather Lampert officiating. A visitation will be held from 2 until 6 pm, SUNDAY, at the funeral home, and also one hour prior to the service on Monday. Burial will be in Blooming Grove Cemetery, Town of Blooming Grove, with military honors to follow.