Donald Leonidas Griffin, 68, passed away August 21, 2026, in Plano, Texas after battling multiple major medical issues for many years. He was born in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, on September 12, 1957.
Donald graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield, Virginia in 1975, and followed his family to Stuttgart, Germany where he started his college studies at the University of Maryland Global Campus there. He graduated from the University of Maryland at College Park, Maryland in 1981. His career was spent in the corporate security industry, and his last position was as Regional Security Manager at Quality Technology Services for all their facilities in the western half of the United States.
Donald married the love of his life, Sandra Jean Dixon in October 1985, after meeting on a blind date the year before. Their marriage was blessed with two daughters, and they were a loving family that made many treasured memories together. Just a few weeks before he suffered a critical hemorrhagic stroke, the family went on an amazing trip to Germany and Austria for Christmas in 2018, which would turn out to be the last vacation he would be able to go on due to severe physical and cognitive difficulties he sustained from the stroke.
Donald is survived by his wife of 40 years, Sandra Jean Dixon Griffin of Little Elm, Texas; daughters, Stephanie Griffin of Irving, Texas, and Andrea Griffin and her husband Nick Vessels of Littleton, Colorado; grandchild, Dean Griffin Vessels; mother, Sylvia Morris Branch; brother, Chris Griffin; and many extended family members and dear friends who will miss him dearly and continue to hold his memory close to their hearts.
Donald was preceded in death by his father, Donald Lee Griffin, brother, Michael Griffin, and stepfather, Edward Arthur Branch.
While we will miss him deeply, we know he is now with our Heavenly Father, and that the legacy he built through faith, family, and love will continue long after.
A funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, September 5, 2026, at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Chapel, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen, Texas 75013. The service will also be live streamed at the following link: https://celebrationoflife.tv/blog/donald-leonidas-griffin. After the service, the recorded live stream will be available for viewing at the same link location.
Following the funeral, a procession will make its way to Ridgeview Memorial Park for a committal service.
The family will receive guests during a visitation from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Friday, September 4, 2026, at the funeral home.
If you would like to honor Don’s memory with a gift, you can send flowers to the funeral home or mail a memorial donation directly to Living Word Baptist Church at 2315 Oak Grove Parkway, Little Elm, Texas, 75068. Please specify that the donation is for the building fund in Don Griffin’s honor.