Today, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno issued a statement on the passing of well-respected community leader, Jerald “Jay” Griffin Sr.
Mayor Domenic J. Sarno states, “I am so very sorry to hear about the passing of dear friend and well-respected community leader Jerald “Jay” Griffin Sr. My wife Carla and I express our deepest sympathy, thoughts, prayers, and encouragement to his wife Freda, daughters Imani and Christel, sons Timothy and the late Jay Jr., all his family and friends.”
“This is a tough one,” Mayor Sarno explained, “for my father Alfonso ‘Al the Barber’ Sarno and Jay and the Griffin family go back to the late 1940’s in our Six Corners neighborhood.”
Jay had a lengthy history of community service dating back to 1969. Jerald “Jay” Griffin is one of the original founders of Springfields “Harambee”, which has become a major African American festival. He is also the founder of the Stone Soul Festival and has served as chair for over two decades. In addition to his civil rights advocacy, he served on the city’s Park Commission and has been involved with a number of boards and agencies such as the Bilingual Veterans Association, Springfield Cultural Council, Ward 4 Democratic Committee and the Armed Forces Day Celebration Committee, was honored with the prestigious Ubora Award, and was quite the ball-player in his day, to name a few.
Mayor Sarno continued, “Jay was such a wonderful and dedicated person and loyal to the core. He cared deeply for our community. He had been a continuous positive force for our Springfield for decades. We recently celebrated and honored Jay with the installation of “Jay Griffin Way,” on the corner of Quincy Streets and Eastern Avenue. Jay’s legacy will forever be remembered for his work to bring our community together will be an example for future generations. My friend, who I used to call ‘the Godfather of Stone Soul,’ you can now smoke that victory cigar in heaven for a job well done. May God rest your soul.”
