03 Dec Don Griffiths (NB Funeral details added)
The club is very sad to hear of the passing of Don Griffiths at the age of 91 years on Sunday 1st December. Our deepest condolences go to his family and friends.
Don was the husband of ‘breed legend’ the late Brenda Griffiths but was also very much his own person. While supporting Brenda in the seventies and early eighties as she played her part in the development of the breed and the club, he also served the club after Brenda had withdrawn from such things and he was Chairman of committee before leaving in the late eighties. His last official engagement was as our judge, of a very large entry, at Crufts in the year 2000, his eighth and final time awarding CCs.
Whilst his face will not be familiar to the modern Bernese community anyone taking the breed seriously will not have to do much research to know the importance of the Forgeman kennel and his part in that alone meant he was at the forefront of the breed’s emergence during a really expansive era but usually choosing to be just below and supporting the headline makers.
For the important role he played during this time the club and the breed have good reason to acknowledge his contribution to both and mark the passing of a real friend of the Bernese Mountain Dog.
Don’s funeral will be held on Tuesday 7th January 2025, at 2pm at Reddish Crematorium, Bordersley Lane, Redditch, B97 6RR. Afterwards friends and family will gather at The Forge, Needle Mill Lane, B98 8HY where all are welcome to participate in refreshments and share their memories of Don.
Please advise son, also Don Griffiths, via text +66 647 906 849, if you intend to attend. Please also be aware of the time differences, as Don lives in Thailand and is 7 hrs ahead of us here in the UK.
It will also be possible for anyone who wishes to view the funeral online using the following details.
The web link is:
The user name is: buku0001
The password is: 023877