In his nearly eight decades of life, former Gainesville mayor Perry McGriff Jr. seemed to leave his mark wherever he went.
On the baseball diamond at UF, the outfielder became the first Gator baseball player to become a two-time All-American, eventually earning an induction into the UF Athletic Hall of Fame.
In the local political scene, he served five years as a commissioner before becoming the mayor, staying on from 1970 to 1971. Then, two decades removed from City Hall, he joined the Florida House of Representatives. On Thursday, the father of five died from complications with a heart surgery. He was 79.
McGriff is survived by his wife, Noel, and children. Upon hearing the news, community members, including current Gainesville Mayor Lauren Poe, mourned the loss.
“There will be a void,” Poe said of McGriff’s death. “Perry has made such an impact that he’s really a part of the fabric of our community — and always will be.”
Poe said he met McGriff about 30 years ago when Poe’s family first moved to Gainesville. An insurance agent at the time, McGriff insured Poe’s fi rst car when he turned 16.
When it was time for Poe to buy his own house, McGriff insured that, too. When Poe began his career in politics, McGriff acted as his mentor.
“He was incredibly supportive,” Poe said. “He mentored me, he advised me, always there to take my phone call with anything that I wanted to run by him.”
Between 2000 and 2002, while continuing to work at McGriff-Williams Insurance and contributing to various charities in Alachua County, McGriff served as a Democrat in the Florida House of Representatives.
“Perry was always a leader in his manner, not in a pious or conceited way, just by example,” said longtime friend David Flagg.
Flagg, 79, attended Gainesville High School with McGriff. The two became friends in third grade. Flagg said he remembers frequently biking to Glen Springs with McGriff, where they’d pay 25 cents to swim before making the long trek home.
During his senior year at Gainesville High School, McGriff and his then-girlfriend Noel were the homecoming king and queen. They had been together ever since, Flagg said.
Flagg said he last spoke to McGriff two days before his death. They talked about aging closer to 80, as well as McGriff’s latest purchase: a royal blue truck with Gator-orange stripes on the side. McGriff, just one month older than Flagg, would have been 80 this June.
“He set a great example, and he should be remembered for his stewardship and doing what was best for the University of Florida and Gainesville,” Flagg said.
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Perry McGriff Jr.
