Celebrating the life of
Hal Smith Griner
May 11, 1932 - March 15, 2019
Baseball was, is and always will be to me the best game in the world. ~Babe Ruth
Hal Smith Griner, 86, died March 15, 2019 at home surrounded by his family. He was under the care of Hospice Spanish Oaks. Special thanks to caregivers Terri, LaJuana, and Taneese.
He was born in Pembroke, Georgia and lived in Savannah for most of his life, and was a faithful member of Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church.
Hal graduated from Benedictine in 1950 and attended Georgia Teachers College (Georgia Southern University) for two years where he lettered in baseball and basketball. After Teachers College Hal signed a baseball contract with the DeLand Red Hats in the Florida State League. Following that, he served in lthe U.S. Army. He began his career at Bell South and then managed Thompson’s Sporting Goods. He later managed J. Parker Ltd. in Largo Plaza. He retired in 1995 as co-owner and manager of H. Griner Ltd.
Baseball was a large part of Hal’s life. He was inducted in the Greater Savannah Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001, and the 2018 Athletic Wall of Honor at Benedictine. He was inducted into the inaugural class of the Savannah Softball Hall of Fame in 1991.
While Hal was proud of his athletic achievements, he may have taken even more pride in teaching the games of baseball and football, and helping to turn boys in to men.
Surviving are his wife of 63 years, Carolyn Readdick Griner; his son, Ken; his daughter, Janet and her husband, Tim McCarthy; four grandchildren, Meg, Timmy, and Hal McCarthy, and Katie Duarte; and a great-granddaughter, Lupe.
A Funeral service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Monday, March 18, 2019 at Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church with Rev. Dr. Ben Martin and Rev. Billy Hester officiating. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. A private burial will be held in Forest Lawn Memory Gardens.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church, 429 Abercorn St., Savannah, GA. 31401
Our heartfelt and deepest sympathy to the Griner family for your loss. May the love of family and friends as well as the words at “Psalm 147:3” and “2 Corinthians 1:3,4” continue to help you get through these most difficult times.
- Sheila, Lawrenceville ,
My condolences to the Griner family during this time of bereavement. The Bible teaches that " There will be a resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous."-Acts 24:15.
- Jeff, Lawrenceville , GA
Carolyn, Ken, Janet Sorry for your loss. God's peace for all of you.
- Bettyann L Talley, SAVANNAH, GA
Family, Very sorry for you loss. Hal and I worked together in the construction dept. of Southern Bell in the 1960's. May Hal Rest In Peace.
- Roy S. Banks, Jr., Flowery Branch, Ga
I remember Mr. Griner for a man of worth and truly cared for others as if his own family and of course the love he had of his own family. My days playing baseball under him and against him as a coach and mentor To the Griner family. And of course my wardrobe came from him growing up. He will be missed. Him and my father are probably telling stories now. May God Bless.
- Mark Cuyler Hendricks, Plant City, FL
Carolyn , our heartfelt condolences to you and your family. I will always cherish the memories of Hal’s patience and kindness to Seth and me.He was a very special, sweet man. Our thoughts are with you. Judith Kolodny-Price and Seth Kolodny
- Judith Kolodny Price, Haymarket, VA
Carolyn I am sorry for your loss. I know you will miss him greatly. He was a good man. Walter Fisch
- Walter Fisch, Savannah, Georgia,
Carolyn, Janet and Ken, Sherri and I are so sorry to learn of Hal’s passing, we were out of town with the grandkids watching baseball. I know Hal would have approved! He was one of the finest men I knew and was always a pleasure to talk to. He will be missed. Our prayers are with you all. Jeff and Sherri Goodman
- Jeff and Sherri Goidman, Savannah,
a great friend for a long time god bless
- paul downing sr., savannah, ga
Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you at this time.
- Charles and Zelda Dubberly and family, Savannah, GA
On behalf of the Lindler family, please accept our heartfelt, deepest condolences; Mr. Griner was a wonderful gentleman and teammate... I will never forget his kindness and support...Mrs. Griner, Ken and Janet...much love, prayers for you all at this time...and what wonderful times we all had
- Lindler, Lisa, ,
My prayer is for strength and comfort for all of you, Carolyn, Janet and Ken in your great loss of Hal, a prince of a guy. He was always a ray of sunshine, interested and supportive in our lives. I was always appreciative of his help in placing the historical marker saying Paul's Soda Shop on the building now known as the Old Savannah City Mission. Love - Joan Hester Byrd and Family
- Joan Hester Byrd, Savannah, GA
Mrs. Griner, Ken, Janet, and extended family. Please accept my deepest condolences for your loss. I have so many great memories of your dad/ husband in and around many sporting events and the store, Great conversations on the history of baseball and the tales of the great Savannah Athletes of the past. Please know that you are in my prayers and what a great man Hal was. Ken and Ciarletta Family Savannah
- Ken Ciarletta, Blackshear, Ga
We are so sorry for your loss. We have your family in our prayers.
- Tom & Martha Ridgway , Savannah, Ga
Carolyn, Janet, and Ken, So sorry for your loss. Please accept our condolences. We will not be at the church tomorrow, because we have two Doctor appointments at 2:00 and 3:00. Please know that you will be in our prayers. Tricia and Butch
- Lowenthal, Savannah, GA
My sincerest condolences to the family of a great friend and teammate at GTC. This friendship will be forever cherished knowing that he is now with the Master.
- Ferrell Sparks, Woodstock, Ga
Carolyn, Ken, Janet and all, So sorry to read of Hal's death. The Deal family always thought a lot of the Griners. Hal and my sister, Patty were the same age and she always enjoyed her visits with him at his clothing store when she was in the area. Hal was such a good guy and he will surely be missed. Jan Deal Hendrix
- janice d hendrix, Ringgold/Pembroke, GA
My sincerest condolences to the Griner family. Hal was a great man of many unique talents. I will always appreciate the opportunity he provided to me to work for him in my teens at the Largo store (J. Parker & H. Griner Ltd). He provided me a great education on good clothes, how to dress sharply and how to treat customers. There were so many great stories shared from his athletic pursuits, Army days, and Savannah in general. He will be missed greatly.
- Barry Manson, Roswell , GA
So sorry to hear the sad news. Hal was a great guy and one of the finest athletes that Savannah has ever produced. He will be missed. My thoughts and prayers to Ken, Janet and the rest of the family.
- Tommy Barton, Savannah, Ga
I am so sorry for your grief. I realize Hal was sick a long time. I am reminded of the times Janet and My daughter, Suzana Ward Barton ,we’re such close friends. We called Janet Sugar Bear.
- Ann Ward, Savannah,ga, Ga
My prayers and thoughts are with all of you.
- Annette Parrish Goodrich, Pembroke, GA
So sorry for the loss of your dad, Ken. Sending prayers and love.
- Peltier, Savannah,
Ken and Janet, We want to send our deepest sympathy at the passing of your dad Ken. We have many fond memories of you both when we lived on Largo Dr. I think about all the sports you and our kids played together or against when you all were growing up. Mr. and Mrs Crow.
- John and Frances Cros, Rincon, , Ga
Mrs. Carolyn this is ur favorite cashier at LoCost Pharmacy, Crystal hopefully this puts a smile on ur face I'm so so sorry for your loss. I send our love from the pharmacy and pray that God be with you and your family during this time.
- Crystal Harmon from LoCost Pharmacy, Savannah, GA
Carloyn and family- May you be blessed with family and friends support during this time of sorrow. God bless. As a DKG sister, I wish to extend my condolences. My husband, Carl and I had Janet as our water aerobic instructor years ago. Thinking of you and your family. Kathy Looper
- Kathy Looper, Tybee Island, GA
I will miss you Hal we had a lot of greats times together.Roger
- Roger Wright, savannah, ga
Linda and Family. So sorry to hear about Hal. Our prayers and thoughts will be with you and your family.
- Belinda Zile, Jacksonville, fl., Fl.
We go back many years of baseball. Your Dad was well respected and we all enjoyed it as team mates and competitors. Our thought and prayers are with you.
- John Mallard, Statesboro, Georgia
Ken and Janet, I’m sorry to hear about the loss of your dad. He was such a good man with a kind heart! May the Good Lord comfort you during this time and as you reflect on the many memories of your father.
- Brian Welch, Odessa , Florida
Our heartfelt and deepest sympathy to the Griner family for your loss. May the love of family and friends as well as the words at “Psalm 147:3” and “2 Corinthians 1:3,4” continue to help you get through these most difficult times.
- Sheila, Lawrenceville ,
My condolences to the Griner family during this time of bereavement. The Bible teaches that " There will be a resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous."-Acts 24:15.
- Jeff, Lawrenceville , GA
Carolyn, Ken, Janet Sorry for your loss. God's peace for all of you.
- Bettyann L Talley, SAVANNAH, GA
Family, Very sorry for you loss. Hal and I worked together in the construction dept. of Southern Bell in the 1960's. May Hal Rest In Peace.
- Roy S. Banks, Jr., Flowery Branch, Ga
I remember Mr. Griner for a man of worth and truly cared for others as if his own family and of course the love he had of his own family. My days playing baseball under him and against him as a coach and mentor To the Griner family. And of course my wardrobe came from him growing up. He will be missed. Him and my father are probably telling stories now. May God Bless.
- Mark Cuyler Hendricks, Plant City, FL
Carolyn , our heartfelt condolences to you and your family. I will always cherish the memories of Hal’s patience and kindness to Seth and me.He was a very special, sweet man. Our thoughts are with you. Judith Kolodny-Price and Seth Kolodny
- Judith Kolodny Price, Haymarket, VA
Carolyn I am sorry for your loss. I know you will miss him greatly. He was a good man. Walter Fisch
- Walter Fisch, Savannah, Georgia,
Carolyn, Janet and Ken, Sherri and I are so sorry to learn of Hal’s passing, we were out of town with the grandkids watching baseball. I know Hal would have approved! He was one of the finest men I knew and was always a pleasure to talk to. He will be missed. Our prayers are with you all. Jeff and Sherri Goodman
- Jeff and Sherri Goidman, Savannah,
a great friend for a long time god bless
- paul downing sr., savannah, ga
Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you at this time.
- Charles and Zelda Dubberly and family, Savannah, GA
On behalf of the Lindler family, please accept our heartfelt, deepest condolences; Mr. Griner was a wonderful gentleman and teammate... I will never forget his kindness and support...Mrs. Griner, Ken and Janet...much love, prayers for you all at this time...and what wonderful times we all had
- Lindler, Lisa, ,
My prayer is for strength and comfort for all of you, Carolyn, Janet and Ken in your great loss of Hal, a prince of a guy. He was always a ray of sunshine, interested and supportive in our lives. I was always appreciative of his help in placing the historical marker saying Paul's Soda Shop on the building now known as the Old Savannah City Mission. Love - Joan Hester Byrd and Family
- Joan Hester Byrd, Savannah, GA
Mrs. Griner, Ken, Janet, and extended family. Please accept my deepest condolences for your loss. I have so many great memories of your dad/ husband in and around many sporting events and the store, Great conversations on the history of baseball and the tales of the great Savannah Athletes of the past. Please know that you are in my prayers and what a great man Hal was. Ken and Ciarletta Family Savannah
- Ken Ciarletta, Blackshear, Ga
We are so sorry for your loss. We have your family in our prayers.
- Tom & Martha Ridgway , Savannah, Ga
Carolyn, Janet, and Ken, So sorry for your loss. Please accept our condolences. We will not be at the church tomorrow, because we have two Doctor appointments at 2:00 and 3:00. Please know that you will be in our prayers. Tricia and Butch
- Lowenthal, Savannah, GA
My sincerest condolences to the family of a great friend and teammate at GTC. This friendship will be forever cherished knowing that he is now with the Master.
- Ferrell Sparks, Woodstock, Ga
Carolyn, Ken, Janet and all, So sorry to read of Hal's death. The Deal family always thought a lot of the Griners. Hal and my sister, Patty were the same age and she always enjoyed her visits with him at his clothing store when she was in the area. Hal was such a good guy and he will surely be missed. Jan Deal Hendrix
- janice d hendrix, Ringgold/Pembroke, GA
My sincerest condolences to the Griner family. Hal was a great man of many unique talents. I will always appreciate the opportunity he provided to me to work for him in my teens at the Largo store (J. Parker & H. Griner Ltd). He provided me a great education on good clothes, how to dress sharply and how to treat customers. There were so many great stories shared from his athletic pursuits, Army days, and Savannah in general. He will be missed greatly.
- Barry Manson, Roswell , GA
So sorry to hear the sad news. Hal was a great guy and one of the finest athletes that Savannah has ever produced. He will be missed. My thoughts and prayers to Ken, Janet and the rest of the family.
- Tommy Barton, Savannah, Ga
I am so sorry for your grief. I realize Hal was sick a long time. I am reminded of the times Janet and My daughter, Suzana Ward Barton ,we’re such close friends. We called Janet Sugar Bear.
- Ann Ward, Savannah,ga, Ga
My prayers and thoughts are with all of you.
- Annette Parrish Goodrich, Pembroke, GA
So sorry for the loss of your dad, Ken. Sending prayers and love.
- Peltier, Savannah,
Ken and Janet, We want to send our deepest sympathy at the passing of your dad Ken. We have many fond memories of you both when we lived on Largo Dr. I think about all the sports you and our kids played together or against when you all were growing up. Mr. and Mrs Crow.
- John and Frances Cros, Rincon, , Ga
Mrs. Carolyn this is ur favorite cashier at LoCost Pharmacy, Crystal hopefully this puts a smile on ur face I'm so so sorry for your loss. I send our love from the pharmacy and pray that God be with you and your family during this time.
- Crystal Harmon from LoCost Pharmacy, Savannah, GA
Carloyn and family- May you be blessed with family and friends support during this time of sorrow. God bless. As a DKG sister, I wish to extend my condolences. My husband, Carl and I had Janet as our water aerobic instructor years ago. Thinking of you and your family. Kathy Looper
- Kathy Looper, Tybee Island, GA
I will miss you Hal we had a lot of greats times together.Roger
- Roger Wright, savannah, ga
Linda and Family. So sorry to hear about Hal. Our prayers and thoughts will be with you and your family.
- Belinda Zile, Jacksonville, fl., Fl.
We go back many years of baseball. Your Dad was well respected and we all enjoyed it as team mates and competitors. Our thought and prayers are with you.
- John Mallard, Statesboro, Georgia
Ken and Janet, I’m sorry to hear about the loss of your dad. He was such a good man with a kind heart! May the Good Lord comfort you during this time and as you reflect on the many memories of your father.
- Brian Welch, Odessa , Florida
Services under the direction of:
Fox & Weeks Funeral Directors, Hodgson Chapel
912-352-7200
