Obituary of Glynna Deane Gaines Pinkard

Glynna Deane Gaines Pinkard, age 90, passed away on Friday, March 18, 2016, at Dallas, Texas. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 pm, Wednesday, March 23, 2016, in The Chapel at Griffin-Hillcrest with interment to follow at Hillcrest Memorial Park, Ardmore, Okla. At the time of her passing, she was Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of Griff’s of America, Inc., a fast food service company operating in four states, serving as Chairman of the Board and President/Treasurer for many years. During the more than fifty years with Griff’s of America, Inc., and its related companies, she held numerous other positions and served as Trustee for multiple H.J. Griffith Family Trusts created by the owner and founder of Griff’s of America, Inc. A native of Oklahoma, she received her early education at Sasakwa, Oklahoma, completing high school in the year 1942. She received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from East Central State College (now East Central University) at Ada, Oklahoma, in 1945. Upon graduation, Glynna was employed by East Central as Assistant College Librarian and later married her beloved husband, Max Pinkard, of Ardmore, Okla. While residing in Ardmore, she was employed by Seaboard Oil Company and upon later moving to Oklahoma City with her husband, she was employed by Sinclair Oil Company. Following a move to Dallas, Texas, in 1954 where Max was employed by Dallas Power & Light Company (later TXU Electric), she accepted employment with Frontier Theatres, Inc., in 1955, a theatre chain of some 200 theatres owned and operated by H.J. Griffith, a legendary multiple state theatre owner, independent oil operator, and philanthropist and began her long career with Frontier Theatres, Inc., and Griff’s of America, Inc. Glynn and Max moved to Richardson, Texas, in 1955 and remained long time residents. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Richardson, the Canyon Creek Country Club, and other business and civic organizations. She is preceded in death by her husband of 49 years, Max Pinkard, her daughter, Nancy Ann Pinkard, her father and mother, Claude D. Gaines, Sr., and Lena Hodge Gaines, brother, Claude D. Gaines, Jr., and sister, Lois Marie Gaines Morgan. Glynna is survived by one sister, Viva Jeane Gaines Whitaker of Crane, Texas, three nieces, two nephews, and their families. Serving as pallbearers will be Harvey Fattig, Donald Bayer, Gregory Sparrow, Jimmy D. Hollon, Jesse Johnson, and Roy I. King. Visitation will be held prior to services on Wednesday, from 12 noon until 2:00 pm, at Griffin~Hillcrest, Ardmore, Okla. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the charity of your choosing.