Marie Griffiths

Marie Griffiths

1943 ~ 2016

Marie Griffiths dedicated her life to caring for others. Born in Philadelphia in 1943 to her loving parents, Frank and Marie Burns, she was the eldest sister to six younger brothers: Frank, Jack, Jim, Joe, Dan, and Bob. She attended West Catholic High School. Whether attending a taping of American Bandstand or singing along with Jim Croce at the Riddle Paddock, she sought out music, laughter, and fellowship. Her lifelong friend, Margaret Ennis, introduced her to chemist Peter Griffiths, who until then had intended to return to his home in Great Britain. Marie’s 1,000-watt smile soon changed those plans, beginning a romance that would span forty-six years and ultimately survive her.

The two moved to Athens, Ohio, where Marie became mother to her daughters, Siân and Megan. She earned her Bachelors degree at Ohio University, double-majoring in Anthropology and Social Work. Dedicated to the protection of abused children, she began her career at the Athens County Department of Children’s Services. She continued this work in Riverside, California, during which time she balanced motherhood and a two-hour commute to earn her Masters of Social Work at the University of Southern California. With her Geraldine Ferraro haircut and crisp white suits, she set an example of a strong, working mother for her daughters.

In 1989, the family moved to Moscow, Idaho, where the people took their coffee drinking as seriously as she did and where her love of the natural world could be fully indulged by the mountain views and passing moose, deer, and pheasants. A consummate hostess, the door to her home was always open. Marie was a wonderful mother, not only to Siân and Megan, but also to their friends and to the many research students who worked with Peter.

After retirement, the couple moved to Ogden, Utah to be closer to their grandchildren, Gwendolyn and Oliver, as well as Siân and her husband Nathanael Myers. Marie was able to fulfill her love of travel, visiting Europe and the Galapagos. Marie’s daughters strive to embody her gift for storytelling and also her humanity and spirit in their creative work, Siân as a novelist and Megan as a filmmaker.

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, March 19, 2016 at 5 p.m. at Lindquist’s Ogden Mortuary, 3408 Washington Blvd.   Friends may visit family on Saturday from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the mortuary.

In lieu of flowers, donations should be sent to Doctors Without Borders [events.doctorswithoutborders.org/campaign/mariegriffiths] or Heifer International (fundraise.heifer.org/mariegriffiths), to continue Marie’s legacy of caring.

She taught those around her the value of laughter, selflessness, courage, a good political argument, and a nice glass of warm sherry. Marie was first and foremost a people person, and she will be enormously missed by her family and the great many people whose lives she touched.