Emagene (Mcgibony) Griffin

Emagene McGibony Griffin died peacefully in her sleep on Wednesday, April 12, 2017, in Monroe, NC at the age of 97 years. She was the wife of T. Brooks Griffin of Monroe, NC who preceded her in death on April 1, 1996. Visitation will be at First Baptist Church of Monroe from 9:30-10:45 am on Tuesday, April 18, 2017 followed by a funeral service at 11:00 am with Reverend Dr. Chris Dawson officiating. Burial services will be held directly after the funeral at Lakeland Memorial Park in Monroe, NC. Mrs. Griffin was born in Atlanta, GA on January 6, 1920, the daughter of Thomas Hampton McGibony and Samuella Gheesling McGibony. A graduate of Greensboro High School, Greensboro, GA, she received a BS in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master’s of Medical Technology from Emory University in Atlanta, GA. While at UNC-CH, she was a member of Chi Omega Sorority. Emagene and Brooks met in Chapel Hill and were married on June 24, 1946, in the First Baptist Church of Greensboro, GA. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Monroe since 1946 where she was one of the first female deacons of the church and gave over 50 years of service to the church’s music program, including teaching children’s choir. Emagene was employed by Ellen Fitzgerald Hospital followed by Union Memorial Hospital as a medical technologist from 1946 to 1955. She was a loyal University of North Carolina Alumnus her entire life, along with her husband who served for many years on the Morehead Scholarship Board. From a very young age, Emagene dearly loved horses and borrowed horses to ride throughout Greene County. As a teenager, her father surprised her with a horse so she wouldn’t “study all the time”! She later became an avid horse woman winning multiple championships. Emagene was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 49 years, T. Brooks Griffin; and younger sisters Margaret McGibony Boatwright and Lucretia McGibony Glass. She is survived by her two daughters, Lucretia (Kiki) Griffin Myers and husband Joel H. Myers of Monroe, NC, and Holly Griffin Rossi and husband Steven P. Rossi of Durham, NC. She has 4 grandchildren (Chris Myers, Jason Myers, Laura R. Farrar, and Colin Rossi) and 5 great grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorials be made to First Baptist Church, 109 Morrow Avenue, Monroe, NC 28112 or to Hospice Palliative Care Charlotte Region - Main, 1420 East Seventh Street, Charlotte, NC 28204 Gordon Funeral Service and Crematory is caring for the Griffin family. Online condolences may be made at www.gordonfuneralservice.com.