Greg Biffle’s Obituary Reveals Interests Beyond NASCAR, Racing

An obituary for NASCAR driver Greg Biffle reveals details of his personal life, including his many interests away from the track.

The official obituary for his 5-year-old son Ryder reveals that he wanted to be just like his dad, almost.

• Greg Biffle, his son Ryder, his 14-year-old daughter Emma and his wife Cristina were among seven killed in a plane crash on Dec. 18.
• The plane was owned by Biffle but it’s not clear who was piloting at the time of the crash.
• The FAA is investigating the crash.

Related: Greg Biffle’s Wife Sent One Final Text Before Crash

Greg Biffle’s Obituary

An obituary for Biffle was shared by the Cavin Cook Funeral Home in Mooresville, N.C. Details of his early life focus on his upbringing in Vancouver, Wash. before the passage quickly gets to his love for race cars and driving.

After a paragraph focused on his career, the obituary turns to his love of animals. The Greg Biffle Foundation provided grants to humane societies around the country and he was also a board member of the Lake Normal Humane.

Blood donation (Biffle was a universal donor) and hurricane relief were other ways he shared his time and money. While his work in the wake of Hurricane Helene is well-known, his travels to storms in Florida and elsewhere also are mentioned.

“He started out saying he wanted to be a NASCAR driver, but this Christmas he said he wanted Formula 1 cars. Ouch!”

“He risked his life to help others, and would never second guess it. To many, he was a hero,” the obituary reads.

Greg Biffle Cause of Death

Biffle died in plane crash near Statesville Regional Airport near Charlotte, N.C. The plane was attempting an emergency landing but crashed into a tree line and light poles approximately one-third of a mile short of the runway.

The cause of the crash is under investigation but several witnesses recalled hearing a “pop” upon takeoff. Poor weather may have also been a factor.

While Biffle owned the plane, he was one of three licensed pilots in the aircraft at the time of the accident. The total flight lasted 10 minutes as almost immediately after takeoff the plane started to circle back toward the airport. Upon impact with the ground, the plane became engulfed in flames.

Emma Biffle Obituary

Greg Biffle’s daughter Emma was born to his first wife, Nicole. Of the family members killed in the crash, she is the only one with a scheduled memorial, planned for Jan. 4 at 3PM at the Cain Center in Cornelius, N.C.

Like her father, Emma also had a deep love for animals. She’s remembered as fun, outgoing, funny, caring, and above all, a pure soul full of love.

“She was a good friend to all and always cared how others felt,” an obituary at Raymer-Kepner Funeral Home reads. “She will be deeply missed by the many people who loved her but mostly by her mom, who shared a profoundly intense bond with her.”

Emma Biffle was a student at Davidson Day School.

Greg Biffle’s Wife and Son’s Obituary

Cristina Grossu’s obituary includes an obituary for her son with Greg Biffle. Ryder Jack Biffle is remembered as a mischievous 5-year-old who loved anything with wheels. Since he was 4 he’d been driving his mini-motorcycle up a dirt road to see his grandparents.

“He loved taking things apart, but hadn’t quite figured out how to put things back together,” an obituary at Cavin-Cook reads.

“He started out saying he wanted to be a NASCAR driver, but this Christmas he said he wanted Formula 1 cars. Ouch!”

Cristina Ann Grossu was born in London but graduated from USC in 2012 and got an MBA from Purdue in 2023. She was a very successful business owner and realtor who also took pride in donating time and money to hurricane relief efforts.

Read More: Who Were Greg Biffle’s Wife + Kids? Late Driver’s Fans Knew Them Well

Wednesday would have been Biffle and Grossu’s three-year wedding anniversary.

Their death in an aviation crash is one country music fans are far too familiar with. Nearly a dozen stars have died in planes or helicopters.