Paul Griffin Jr., a prodigious real estate developer and prolific philanthropist, died April 6.
He was 90.Griffin was the fourth generation of his family involved in the home building industry in Southern California, starting with a family business dating back to 1903.
Griffin, who became president of Griffin Homes in 1966, grew the company into one of the largest home building organizations in California. Across his long career, Griffin oversaw the building of more than 30,000 homes.
As a 40-year member of the Building Industry Association, Griffin was a founding member of their Governmental Affairs Council. He was president of the Los Angeles/Ventura Building Industry Association and also served as a director of the National Association of Home Builders and the National Housing Roundtable. Griffin received a Congressional Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Community in 1989; was inducted into the California Building Industry Hall of Fame in 1996; and was the inaugural recipient of the Los Angeles/Ventura Building Industry Association Award for Excellence.
Sean Illes, who serves as project manager at Griffin Living, said that he will remember Griffin as “an outstanding member of our community who lived in Northridge and lent a helping hand to anyone in need.” Paul Griffin III has been serving as head of Calabasas-based Griffin Living.
Griffin’s granddaughter, who serves as the director of communications at Griffin Living, said that Paul Griffin Jr. was the leader of the family and the company in so many ways.
“He was an extraordinary successful person,” Aurora Griffin said. “You only meet someone with his accomplishments a few times in life.
“What’s remarkable is that he was a humble, kind and generous person in spite of his success. He used his time and money for people who needed it.” He was a man of faith, Aurora Griffin said.
“He and my grandma went to church every day,” she said. And “he passed with many of his children and his grandchildren around him, praying for him.”