Age 34. 37 Gulliver Street, Milton, MA. Born 8/23/1908, Dorchester (Boston), MA. Died of carbon monoxide poisoning (death certificate). Construction engineer for Foundation Corp., builders of the Bethlehem-Hingham shipyard, Hingham, MA. Attended the big afternoon Holy Cross 55-to-12 football blowout of 4-to-1 favorite Boston College at Fenway Park. His body was located the following Monday at John A. O'Brien's Funeral Service, Roxbury (Boston), MA, by a brother-in-law. Was raised in Dorchester. Was a graduate of Quincy High School, Quincy, MA. "At high school he was an athlete and later continued to be active in semi-professional sports" (The Boston Globe, 12/01/1942). Left the engineering division of the state Public Works Department two weeks before the blaze for defense work. Was president of the Independent Union of Engineers. Survived by children June, age 10, Jean, age 8, John W. "Jackie," Jr., age 6, and Joyce, age 3. Wife former Loretta G. Berry, age 34 (Born 11/10/1908. Died as Loretta G. Reid on 5/27/1998, age 89), married in 1932, was not present. Widow made news when she gave birth to a baby girl Jerie on 1/01/1943 at Quincy City Hospital, Quincy (child was one of two known offspring to lose a parent in the fire prior to their own birth, see bartender and victim Paul Mikalonis "Mitchell"). In March 1943 former shipyard coworkers raised $8,000 to assist the family: "The money has been used to set up a trust fund for Mrs. John Griffin of Milton and her five children" (UP wire article, 3/03/1943). One of three fire victims survived by five minors, including his unborn daughter (also patrons Michael J. Fitzgerald, age 51, and James "Jim" Slattery, age 41). Was tall and slender (WWII draft registration, October '40: 6' 1½," 165 lbs.). Not to be confused with patron John R. Griffin, age 35, a fire survivor from Haverhill, MA, in another party. Parents Mrs. Margaret M. (Kelley) and the late Mr. John M. Griffin. Burial at Milton Cemetery, Milton (misrecorded at Mount Wollaston Cemetery, Quincy, on his death certificate). Middle name William.

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