Bob Griswold, age 96, of Burnsville, went Home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, April 1st, 2025, at Mars Hill Manor. A native of Peru, Illinois, he was a son of the late Laurence Oscar and Edith Nellie Walker Griswold. He was preceded in death as well by his loving wife of 70 years, Carol Ann Edwards Griswold, and his brother, Dean Griswold.
Bob was born in Peru, Illinois on August 28th, 1928, to Lawrence and Edith Griswold. He graduated from Peru Grade School in 1942, LaSalle-Peru High School in 1946, and LPO Community College in 1948. Following college at age 20, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps in August 1948. He had a 20-year career in the Marine Corps as a playing musician and director of the Marine Corps Field Bands, as well as 6 years as baritone soloist with Field Bands. He graduated from the Advanced Bandmasters Course at the Armed Forces Music School and spent 2 years on the faculty at the Armed Forces Music School as rehearsal conductor and director of the faculty concert band in Washington, D.C., as well as Bandmaster of field bands for 5 years. In 1951, Bob married Carol Ann Edwards. In 1962, he was commissioned as CWO Bandleader/Band officer and a director of field bands until retirement in 1968. After retiring, Bob and Carol moved to Orlando, Florida in 1968 and established a piano tuning and repair business as a PTG piano technician. In 1984, they moved to Burnsville in the mountains of Western North Carolina and continued as a piano technician in Yancey and Mitchell Counties until retirement in 2005. He was a member of First Baptist Church in Burnsville, and spent time as a volunteer at Reconciliation House.
He is survived by his daughter and son, Kay Lynn Weirich (Michael) and Gary Lee Griswold (Jill Medford); two granddaughters: Rebecca Lynn Parker and Sherri Nichole Harman (Kory); four great-grandchildren: Hannah Lynn Miller, Ashlyn Glover, Ethan Glover and Madelyn Glover.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Monday, April 7th in the chapel of Yancey Funeral Services. Private burial will be held in the Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery in Black Mountain.
To send online condolences, please visit our website at www.yanceyfuneralservice.com.
