Francis Donald Griffith

Donald Griffith, 94, of Fort Wayne, passed away on Monday, August 12, 2019. Born June 6, 1925 in Fort Wayne, he was the son of the late Lauren C. and Theresa O'Neil Griffith. At age 16, Don soloed at Smith Field and earned his pilot’s license. He graduated from Central Catholic High School. He was a World War II U.S. Army Veteran and served in the First Cavalry Division Artillery. He saw action in the South Pacific Islands of New Guinea and Admiralties as well as the Philippine Islands of Leyte and Luzon, then occupation duty in Japan. After the war, Don attended Indiana Institute of Technology and earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He was a member of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and was a Mass server there for several decades. Don retired in 1981 as Product Engineer, after 31 years at International Harvester. He was a member of the Harvester Engineering Retiree Organization (H.E.R.O). After retirement Don taught at Ivy Tech for a number of years. He was a member of the D.A.V. and American Legion Post No. 82. He loved playing tennis, gardening, classical music, and was an ardent Notre Dame fan. Surviving are his wife, Kate; daughter, Beth Anne (Al) Adams of Muncie; son, Michael Griffith of Santa Monica, CA; grandsons, Donny (Libby) and Ted (Lindsay) Adams; sister, Virginia Hannum, and brother, James Griffith, both of Fort Wayne. Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Margaret Degitz Griffith; sister, Sr. Mary Richard Griffith, S.P.; brothers: John, Laurence, Neil and Thomas Griffith. Mass of Christian Burial will take place Monday, August 19, 2019 at 10:00 am at Saint Mother Theresa Theodore Guerin Chapel at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception 1122 S Clinton Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46802, with visitation one hour prior, Msgr. Robert Schulte officiating. Visitation will also be 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Sunday, August 18, 2019 at D.O. McComb and Sons Lakeside Park 1140 Lake Ave, Fort Wayne, IN 46805 with a Rosary Service at 2:30 pm. Burial in Catholic Cemetery, Fort Wayne. Memorials to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, or Hoosier Air Museum c/o Mr. Les Matheson, 2822 County Rd. 62, Auburn, IN 46706, or to a charity of your choice.