Christopher Alan Griffis, 45, of 9 Forest Bay Lane, Cicero, and formerly of Akron, died unexpectedly at 8:56 p.m. Sept. 12, 2011, in the emergency room at Riverview Hospital, Noblesville. He collapsed after a pick-up game of basketball at the Noblesville Boys & Girls Club.
He was born May 11, 1966, in Warsaw, to Bobby J. and Linda A. Nees Griffis. On June 9, 1985, in Akron, me married Mari Stephen, who survives.
He was the most successful team manager in Firestone Indy Lights Racing and currently was manager of the Sam Schmidt Motorsports Indy Lights Team. A team which he had guided to 46 wins and four championships since 2004, and had all but locked up this year’s title with his drivers Joef Newgarden and Esteban Guerrieri with their first- and second-place standings. He had also worked with Schmidt’s Indianapolis 500 drivers the past three seasons. He began his IndyCar career at Patrick Racing in the 1980s, working with legendary drivers Gordon Johncock and Emerson Fittipaldi. He was on Fittipaldi’s car for five wins, including the 1989 Indianapolis 500. In 1990, he joined Chip Ganassi Racing and in 1993 he moved to Bernstein Racing. He stayed with Bernstein until his move to Panther Racing in 2002 where he was crew chief for Panther Racing’s Mark Taylor’s 2003 Indy Lights Championship. He graduated from Tippecanoe Valley High School, Akron, in 1984, and from Lincoln Tech with a business degree in mechanics administration. He loved to jet ski, play basketball and go boating with his family.
Also surviving are two daughters, Clair Griffis, 16, and Sophia Griffis, 10, Cicero; his mother, Linda Griffis, Mentone; his father, Bob Griffis, Claypool; a sister, Heather (and spouse Josh) Beery, Silver Lake; a bother-in-law, Mike Stephen, Akron; a sister-in-law, Marna (and spouse Robert) Ames , Marion, Ill.; and all of his race family.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Hartzler Funeral Home, 305 W. Rochester St., Akron, with the Rev. Amber Karkosky-Litten officiating. Burial will be in Akron Cemetery.
Calling is from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday at Hartzler Funeral Home, Akron.
A memorial service will be at a later date in the Indianapolis area. ***** Memorials may be made to the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation and the Kosciusko County Cancer Fund.
Condolences may be sent via www.hartzlerfuneralservices.com
