By Misty Holler Staff Writer Photos From Various Sources Last week, we lost a staple in our community. Anyone who has lived in Forney long likely recognized who Cary Griffin was. But for those of us who grew up in this town, we undoubtedly knew him.
Cary and his wife Judy first came to Forney in the early 70s when they purchased the Forney Messenger newspaper shortly thereafter. A lifelong journalist, avid reader, and lover of words in general, Cary had studied journalism and English in college, igniting in him the perfect passion required to own and nurture a small-town publication. From the moment the couple bought the newspaper in 1972 until their retirement roughly four and a half decades later, Cary and Judy were mainstays in the Forney Family.
On a professional note, Cary held the title of Publisher and Editor for the Forney Messenger. Not only did he help put together the layout of each week’s publication and take part in many behind-the-scenes tasks required for printing a paper, he also wrote his famed front-page article, “Hoppin’ Around with Cary” faithfully every week through the years. In this space, readers got to know a little more of the mind of Cary Griffin on topics ranging from political opinions to current local events to memories from his childhood. In addition to “Hoppin’ Around with Cary”, he covered events for the city itself, the school district, hundreds of ribbon cuttings for local businesses, and countless other happenings. To put it succinctly, everywhere you looked, Cary and Judy were likely to be there.
As our small town became a slightly larger town and then a full-fledged city, the Griffins were still active in countless groups and organizations. They attended city meetings, Chamber of Commerce events, church gatherings, and nearly every major event held by the Forney ISD. As if those things weren’t enough, the twosome volunteered in a variety of capacities with different organizations, one of Cary’s favorite positions being with the Forney Girl Scouts. The children of Forney became Cary and Judy’s children, and they became somewhat of surrogate grandparents to the group of us. On a personal note, I can vividly recall Cary coming to my grandfather’s law office a few doors down from the newspaper office. My mother was an administrative assistant there and took her children to work with her often. Cary didn’t come through the door for legal business, though; he came to crawl down onto the floor to play with and read to my 6-month-old brother. Such was the personality of Cary Griffin. A wildly intelligent man who could feel at home in the room with national newspaper publishers and politicians or cross-legged on a blanket with a tiny baby boy.
Though the Griffins officially retired in 2018 and sold their business, Cary and Judy remained involved in events in the city of Forney. From football games to the Chamber of Commerce to Sunday mornings at the Presbyterian church and about a million things in between, the couple continued to participate. And despite Cary’s slowly declining health, he enjoyed each and every one of his interactions with folks from around town for as long as his body would cooperate with him.
At the news of his passing last week, the hearts of our town were collectively saddened, knowing that one of the constants, one of our “old Forney” pillars is no longer with us. In Cary’s autobiography entitled My Days, My Ways, he writes: “I can’t say that I’ve done anything that has shaken the world, although I hope that when I die I will have left my corner of the world a little better than I found it.” Cary definitely left his corner of the world much better than he found it. As we reflect on his life and the love he had for this town, may we all take a few moments in Cary’s memory to enjoy the community we call home.
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