A simple philosophy: Kevin Griffin’s Distinguished Service recognized

By Kristine Thomas

Silverton High School Special Education teacher Mary Rankin wants to start a new game in Silverton called the “Six degrees of Kevin Griffin.”

Just like the game the “Six degrees of Kevin Bacon,” Rankin explained, people in Silverton can find a way in six or less acquaintances to connect to Griffin.

From working at Roth’s Fresh Market where he greets customers in English, Spanish or Russian to volunteering with his church to working in Silverton High School’s special education classroom plus his career working for a telephone company before he retired, Rankin said it seems Griffin knows everyone in town and he remembers their names and their stories.

“Kevin is a unique soul,” Rankin said. “He always sees the best in people and has a strong insight to people. Our classroom would not be the same without him.”

Confessing he was shocked to receive the Silverton Chamber of Commerce’s 2013 Distinguished Service award, Griffin said he’s grateful to work with Rankin and Becky Hopkins, adding he wishes more people knew about what they do for the high school’s special needs program.

“The work Becky and Mary do for the students is amazing. I feel honored to be able to work with the students and to work with Becky and Mary,” he said. “I feel like I am the one who gets the greatest gift to be around all these wonderful, genuine people.”

Immanuel Lutheran Pastor Leah Stolte-Doerfler said Griffin delights in serving others. “Kevin has chosen to spend his life in particular way,” Stolte-Doerfler said. “That particular way is based upon service and caring for people who are often marginalized.”

Whether it’s working with the high school students or children in Belize on a mission trip, Stolte-Doerfler said Griffin is a man of service. “I think that has to do with his humble spirit.”

Ingrid Evjen-Elias, Community Garden Coordinator for Marion-Polk Food Share, wrote the nomination letter for Griffin.

“He knows everybody. He is a repository of knowledge about the history and people of this very special place. This is Kevin’s magic: He feeds his love for his neighbors back into the community he serves every day,” Evjen-Elias wrote.

Dan McGee, a high school security officer, said Griffin has “one of the biggest hearts in the building. He is one of the most patient people I know. He loves everybody and thinks the best of everybody.”

Born in Ireland, Griffin moved to the United States in the early 1950s. He grew up in a small town in Missouri and found his way to Oregon through a job transfer. Griffin, 62, enjoys working with the students in the Transitional Learning Program because they are “honest and their laughter is genuine. Their efforts are good and their questions are sincere.”

Every job and every experience in his life have helped him with the next chapter, he said. “It’s funny how over time you patchwork the pieces of your life together so you can use it all in one way,” he said.

Whether he is working at the grocery store or in the school, Griffin said he has a philosophy, that is pretty simple.

“If you are kind and respectful to everyone, you will never have to be unkind or disrespectful to anyone,” he said. “I feel I am blessed to live in Silverton where everyone makes you feel a part of a community.”