Charles Vernon Grife Jr., born on March 9, 1938, in Splitlog, Missouri, passed away peacefully on May 29, 2025, at the age of 87, after a brief struggle with pancreatic cancer. He was the son of Charley Vernon Grife and Laura Gladys (Barnes) Grife.
Known to most as Chuck, and to his childhood friends as Buddy, Charles was a kind man who was always willing to lend a helping hand. From a young age, he cultivated great interest and talent in art, architecture, and music, expressing these passions throughout his life through hobbies and careers that included painting, carving, sculpting, and building his own homes. He also loved restoring homes past their prime to their former glory. A man of strong faith, Charles held an unwavering belief in God and was fully prepared and at peace as he passed from this life.
Charles spent his early years in Raytown, Missouri, where he graduated from high school before moving to Tucson, Arizona. In Tucson, he taught dance lessons at Arthur Murray Dance Studios, completed a bachelor’s degree in interior design at the University of Arizona, and ran a hair salon business. It was in Tucson that he met and married the mother of his children before relocating back to Missouri, where they raised their family. Later in life, Charles returned to the desert south of Tucson, living there for several years before eventually settling in Northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missouri for his final years.
Charles is survived by his wife, Nancy Jo (Ridgeway) Grife; four children with their mother, Nancy Jane Meeks: Charles Grife III, Steven Grife, Ronald Grife, and Laura (Grife) Rodriguez; eleven grandchildren; and his sister, Jacqueline Rae (Grife) Downing.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 5, 2025, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Carthage, Missouri.
