Math professor dies

Peter Griffin

By Jennifer Coleman
HORNET STAFF WRITER
Published October 21, 1998

Though his students may remember him as a tough but concerned educator, Professor Peter Griffin also will be recalled as one of the world's experts on blackjack.

Griffin, 61, died unexpectedly Sunday.

He taught at CSUS since 1965, teaching statistics, calculus and differential equations.

"He was an outstanding member of our faculty and an excellent teacher," said Wallace Etterbeek, chair of the Mathematics department.

His long-time office partner, Professor Jack Christopher, said Griffin was an avid hiker, who once walked the width of the Grand Canyon, from the North rim to the South rim, in one day.

"He was into hiking and he climbed quite a few peaks," Christopher said.

Griffin was also known as bicycling enthusiast.

"Once he moved to Sacramento from Davis, I don't think he bought a parking pass once. He rode his bike all the time," Christopher said, even when he lived in the delta community of Bryte, a 26 mile round trip commute.

A world traveler, Griffin spoke Spanish, German and Italian passably, Christopher said.

"When he was at Davis, he also translated some Russian mathematics for a professor," he said.

Griffin received his baccalaureate degree from Portland State University, and his Masters from University of California.

He wrote two books on blackjack, "The Theory of Blackjack" in 1979 and "Extra Stuff: Gambling Ramblings" in 1991, in order to disprove the mathematics of the systems designed to beat the dealer.

"He did it primarily for the mathematics," said Christopher. "His opinion was that none of these systems really works."

Students may recall Griffin as a tough teacher who was always prepared and never missed a class, Christopher said, but he was also a concerned one, who understood his job was to make sure students learned.

"He was somewhat demanding, but still interested in their future," he said.

In a 1986 Sacramento Union article about his book, Griffin said his first love was teaching.

Griffin's colleagues will remember him as someone who stood for his principles and was not willing to compromise on them, Christopher said. They will also recall Griffin's razor sharp wit and unpretentious manner, he said.

Griffin is survived by his wife, Lydia.