Roanoke, Va. – Longtime educator, coach, and always a friend to sports in the Roanoke Valley, John Griffith has passed away at the age of 82. He taught for 50 years and coached just about every sport--retiring from Roanoke City schools in 2014.
Roanoke City Schools(RCPS) provided a statement on Facebook on Griffith’s passing.
“An advocate for youth athletics, he was a beloved mentor to thousands of student-athletes across the entire Roanoke Valley,” RCPS wrote. “Mr. Griffith leaves a legacy of service, and our thoughts are with his family and many friends,” RCPS said.
Griffith’s most recent venture was creating the Valley Girls Junior Open Golf Tournament in 2018. The tournament has awarded more than 23 thousand dollars in scholarship money. He was a regular on the microphone announcing at many of Patrick Henry’s sporting events. Griffith never stopped serving the community.