- Date Of Birth: September 1, 1933
- Date Of Death: November 27, 2016
- State: Utah
ELIZABETH “TEDDY” GRIFFITH
Elizabeth Adelaide (Teddy) Maire Griffith, age 83, passed away in the early hours of November 27, 2016. She was born in Detroit, Michigan on September 1, 1933 to Edward D. Maire, MD., and Marguerite Chapin Maire. She attended Detroit Public Schools. She met her future husband, Kenneth Edward Griffith, while she was in high school and he was in his first year of college. She attended and later was graduated from the University of Michigan, where she was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority before joining Ken in Germany.
They were married the same day in a civil ceremony in Wiesbaden, Germany and in the chapel at Ramstein Air Base on August 14, 1954. While there, she was very active in the Girl Scouts, earning one of their highest awards. She gave birth to their first of three sons in an old German hospital in Landstuhl, Germany.
Following this Air Force tour, she lived near Dayton, Ohio with her USAF husband and three young boys before coming to Ogden in June 1963. She started a business making and marketing artistic wax candles.
As a member of the Junior League of Ogden, she identified and submitted applications for buildings to be placed on the National Historic District. She worked to place Shadrack Jones stone houses in Willard, Utah on the National Historic District.
She was appointed as a representative of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and was active in the Utah State Historical Society. She worked as Project Officer for the U.S. Bicentennial Commission in the State capitol building, recommending funding for projects for cities of Utah. Following completion of the Bicentennial projects in 1977, Teddy worked as Executive Director of the Ogden Union Station. With dedicated community leaders and organizations she enthusiastically led efforts to restore and remodel the Station, converting it to a multi-purpose campus. She loved this work and the contact with outstanding civic leaders and her coworkers at the Station.
In 1980 she earned a Masters Degree from Utah State University with a thesis on development of the Ogden Union Station. She and Betty Moore initiated the annual Wade in the Water gospel music event. She was a member of the Crossroads of the West board.
She won numerous awards, including the 2011 Mayor’s Awards in the Arts honors.
She was a beautiful, loving and talented wife and mother. She was just fun to be with.
She was active as a member and moderator at the Congregational United Church of Christ in Ogden.
She is survived by her husband, Kenneth Edward Griffith, her sons: Stephen (Florentina), David (Terrie), Paul (Sandy), brother: Jonathan E. Maire (Susie), grandchildren: Ruben, Elliott, Katy, Jonathan, Jacqueline, Chapin, Jillian and six great grandchildren.
