K. Dudley Griner

K. Dudley Griner, 86, of Tallahassee, peacefully passed away at Big Bend Hospice in Tallahassee on October 1, 2015. He was born in Cross City, FL to Kerfoot and Mamie Smith Griner. He finished his high school education at Emory at Oxford at the age of 16. He then attended the Citadel before graduating from the University of Georgia in 1949. Dudley became a partner in Griner Chevrolet with his father but enlisted in the U. S. Navy in 1950. He married Hazel Futch Griner of Cross City in 1951 and they lived in Norfolk, VA, during his service in the Navy. Despite many opportunities for advancement in the Navy, he retired as Lt. Commander in 1955 and returned to Cross City to raise his family and to become an active partner in the family automobile dealership. He remained in that position until his father’s death in 1963. Dudley bought his mother’s ownership and his sister’s ownership in 1963, and remained the sole owner until 1981. During that time, Dudley also served as a lobbyist for various clients, including the Van Lennep family and the Florida Softdrink Association, and he and his wife, Hazel, spent much of their time in Tallahassee. They permanently relocated to Tallahassee in 2002, and he continued his work as a lobbyist until his retirement in 2005. Bored with retirement, Dudley volunteered as a spokesperson for the Red Cross and he went back to work part-time at Kraft Nissan. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Cross City. His interests included reading, playing bridge, crossword puzzles, and especially spending time with his family and friends. An accomplished artist, Dudley loved to draw and paint and share his works with family, friends, and colleagues. His work could be seen anywhere from the state Capitol building to the First Baptist Church and Dixie County Courthouse in Cross City. Dudley is survived by his wife of 64 years, Hazel Griner; two daughters, Kay (Rob) Olin of Shell Point, and Kellie (Chris) Kraft of Tallahassee; one son, Ken (Lynetta) Griner of Fanning Springs; five grandchildren, Christopher Kraft, Jr., Chase (Ashley) Kraft, Korey Griner, Katie Kraft, and Cody Kraft; and two great-grandchildren, Audrey and Carter Kraft. He was preceded in death by his parents and by his only sister, Carolyn Griner Holt. The family will receive friends on Sunday, October 4th, at Southwood House, 3750 Grove Park Drive, Tallahassee, from 2:00 until 4:00 pm. A private burial will be held at a later date. True to his nature, Dudley suggested that in lieu of flowers at his passing that anyone wishing to make a memorial contribution in Dudley’s memory donate to the Wounded Warrior Project, P. O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675, or to any children’s charity.

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K. Dudley Griner

December 2, 1928 - October 1, 2015