John Griffin was a man who kept his hand on the pulse of his community throughout a career in journalism — and it was a global community.

The former editor of The Advertiser's editorial pages, who died Sunday night at the age of 80, developed his passion for Asia and the Pacific over a lifetime in which he felt at home in Manila and Saigon, as well as in Honolulu.

But it was to Hawai'i that he committed the fullest measure of his expertise and devotion, including long after his retirement in 1993. He continued to write columns for The Advertiser, the last one appearing June 17 in the Focus section.

It concerned the state's planning for its own preferred future, and how a constitutional convention could provide some fuel for the journey. That's fitting, because Griffin was grounded in the realities of the present but focused on what the future could bring.

And he saw Hawai'i's future as inextricably entwined with those of its neighbors throughout the Pacific Rim.

Griffin trained with a Navy Air Corps bomber crew toward the end of World War II, and in the postwar years earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Hawai'i. He launched into a career in news, reporting for The Associated Press in Asian capitals. The Advertiser kept him largely at home covering local politics in 1961, but a stint with the Peace Corps two years later sent him back out to Asia and to Africa as well.

As editorial page editor, he tackled controversial issues but kept the door open to critics, seeing that their viewpoints were considered.

In any case, it would be difficult to leave Griffin's office angry because his affable personality permeated every encounter. Family members said he even approached his death from cancer with the same Zen-like calm.

He was also a man who took every chance to join the debate about shaping Hawai'i.

Griffin wanted to see Hawai'i adapt to change without losing the essence that he and many others loved about this place. He frequently prodded decision-makers to look ahead and at Hawai'i's larger role in the region's future.

In doing so, he left an imprint on the Islands that will remain for years to come.

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