OBITUARIES

1947 - 2021

Reverend Dr. Ronald Griffen

73, El Centro

Reverend Dr. Ronald Paul Griffen passed from this life on March 8, 2021, to be with his Lord and Savior, for whom he faithfully served and ministered throughout his life. Ron fought a brave battle with leukemia and died surrounded by loved ones.

Ron was a great communicator. T hrough his preaching, teaching, writing, composing, singing and storytelling he exemplified a life that worked for justice and reflected peace and hopefulness.

Ron was born in 1947 in Tacoma, Washington, to Paul Alfred Griffen and Ruth Anne (Tregoning) Griffen. R on’s f amily moved to L ong Beach when he was a child. He graduated from Banning High School and California State University, Dominguez Hills with a bachelor’s degree in political science. His early career was spent teaching history in the L.A. school district and later in the San Francisco area.

A modern renaissance man, Ron worked at perfecting many diverse interests during his life. An Eagle Scout, Ron was very i nvolved with Boy Scouts as a teenager. He was a member of the Honor Scout organization Tribe of T ahquitz and worked a t Boy Scout camp most summers earning the title of chief his senior year of high school. A lifelong love of Native A merican culture, as an adult, he participated in powwows a long with fellow chiefs, known as “Wise Men.” Ron continued his involvement with the Boy Scouts, lastly with the Troop 49 that is chartered through the El Centro Methodist Church.

During college, he was approached by campus priests to write music for folk masses. Although a Methodist, this led to an early career writing and singing in the Catholic Church. Ron recorded four albums of Christian music. H is c omposition, “Never Be the Same,” was sung by T ony Melendez for Pope John Paul II’s tour of L os Angeles in 1987.

During his 27- year Christian Music ministry, Ron attended graduate school at the University of N otre D ame studying church liturgy. Having worked in and around the church for many years, Ron answered the call to ministry later than most and attended seminary at Claremont Seminary. He became an Ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church and earned his Doctor of Ministry in 1999. His served the congregations of P omona, Laguna Hills, San Luis Obispo, Laguna Country, and El Centro. He retired from El Centro Methodist Church in June 2020 after 11 years of service as its Senior Pastor.

Ron met his future wife, Sara, at L aguna Hills Church while Sara w as the youth director and Ron was the associate pastor. Ron moved onto San Luis Obispo and returned to Laguna Hills six years later. The two were married a year later in 2007 and moved to El Centro in 2009.

An avid sports fan, Ron played football and baseball growing up and into high school. After a football injury in his junior year, he turned his talents to the guitar. He called sports, “the only reality T.V.” A Dodger’s f an since the early ‘ 50’s, he was thrilled when the team moved to L.A. He followed all sports at the college and professional level. He particularly enjoyed playing golf. He h ad standing games with pastoral colleagues and local friends at Del Rio Country Club in Brawley. One of his greatest accomplishments was being able to p lay the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland, not once, b ut twice.

Ron and Sara enjoyed traveling together, beginning with their honeymoon trip to P aris and Dijon. During their 14- year marriage, they also traveled a round the U.S, Mexico, I reland, Scotland, Italy, G reece, Spain, Turkey, and Israel.

Ron served his community in many w ays using his skills for leadership and compassion. He is a past president of T he El Centro Rotary Club and a Paul Harris Fellow. One of the many projects he worked on in Rotary was the creation of a teaching garden at H arding Elementary School in El Centro, w hich is still thriving today. R on w as also a member of the Imperial Valley Master Chorale.

Ron was one of the few Christian pastors involved with the Imperial Valley Interfaith Council. He advocated for those seeking to become citizens, for all immigrants, for those of the LGBTQ community, and for all people to f eel welcome and safe in his community of faith. He also ministered as a hospice chaplain in the Imperial Valley.

Ron’s talent for teaching was evident in his Bible Study classes to his congregations, but he also taught in the community, teaching religion at Imperial Valley College and the University of Phoenix. Ron penned poignant and thoughtful commentary as a columnist for the Imperial Valley Press the last few years. At the time of his passing, he was working on a book about his experience as a pastor in the Imperial Valley.

Ron was an outstanding cook finding it therapeutic. Most people just found his cooking delicious. S ara claims to be the luckiest of women to be able to come home from work to a thoughtful and delicious meal almost every night. Ron and Sara entertained frequently; Ron showed his love f or others through the food he prepared.

Ron was preceded in death by his mother and father; his brother, Richard and his sister, Barbara.

He is survived by his wife, Sara Ann Griffen of El Centro; stepchildren, Evan Phillips Yarnell of York, Pennsylvania a nd Lane Chandler Yarnell of Escondido, California; sister, Janice (Griffen) Perry of Torrance, C alifornia.

A Celebration of L ife will be held September 15th at 11 a.m. at the United Methodist Church in Chula Vista. A local service may be held, depending on the lifting of r estrictions and weather.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of R on Griffen to the Imperial Valley Food Bank, P.O. B ox 4406, El Centro, C A 92244. All gifts will go toward naming the outdoor concert stage at the Food Bank in his memory.

Pastor Ron famously said, “The worst thing that can happen is never the last thing that happens.” He bet his life on it, and God does not disappoint.