Dennis John Griffin

Dennis John Griffin, 72, of Greene, passed away peacefully on March 10, 2026, at Mitchell County Regional Health Center in Osage, surrounded by his loving family.

Born on October 7, 1953, in Grinnell, Iowa, to John and Gayle (Gross) Griffin, Dennis grew up attending elementary school in Brooklyn before moving to Dysart prior to eighth grade. He graduated from Dysart-Geneseo High School with the class of 1972. He went on to attend Northwestern College in Orange City, where he played on the Red Raiders football team from 1972 to 1975. His team was the 1972 National Runner-up and won the 1973 National Championship. He graduated in 1976 with a degree in elementary education.

Dennis moved to Greene that fall to teach fifth and sixth grade at Greene Elementary while also coaching several junior high and high school sports teams. It was during his teaching years that he met the love of his life, Peggy Marie Steere. They married in 1981 at St. Peter Lutheran Church and were blessed with two sons, Tyler and Clint, who affectionately called him “Poppy.”

After teaching for four years, Dennis worked briefly at Bill’s Foods in Greene before beginning a more than 30-year career in carpentry. Known for his meticulous attention to detail, he took great pride in the quality of his remodeling and building projects throughout Greene and the surrounding communities. Diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 1998, he faced a courageous 28-year battle with cancer, quietly enduring significant pain while modeling strength, hope, and perseverance. A man of deep faith and few words, Dennis possessed a beautiful voice that he used to bring comfort and healing to others. He was an active member of the choir and praise worship team at St. Peter Lutheran Church, performed at many weddings, funerals, and services, and sang for years with the Greene Community Chorus, directing the annual Christmas Cantata on several occasions. He encouraged his sons’ involvement in music, with Tyler joining him in the Cantata and Clint playing keyboard with the worship team. Even during cancer treatments, he touched many lives by singing and playing music in hospital waiting rooms and lobbies.

Dennis cherished time spent hunting, fishing, and biking with Peggy, and he found great joy in attending his sons’ and grandsons’ sporting events and activities. He is survived by his wife of nearly 45 years, Peggy; sons Tyler (Bailey) Griffin of Hudson and Clint (Sophie) Griffin of Cedar Falls; grandsons Greyson, Knox, and Bode Griffin; his mother, Gayle Griffin of Cedar Falls; his sister, Diane Langbehn of Marion; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, John, and his brother, Dan.