Claire A. Griffith

Claire (nee Armstrong) Griffith, 92, of New Port Richey FL, formerly of Wayne PA passed away on July 5 2016 after a brief illness. Claire was born in Philadelphia in 1923, and grew up in King Manor PA, graduating from Upper Merion High School in 1941. She continued her studies at West Chester State College (West Chester University). After graduating from West Chester in the spring of 1945 with a BS in Education, Claire married her high school sweetheart, Walter B. Griffith. Claire and Walt were married for 44 years, until his death in 1989. They led a full and active life, both pursuing careers as teachers, raising two daughters and exploring the world in their many travels together. Claire began her career as an English teacher at Conshohocken High School, and then Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School. After earning a Masters degree in Education from Temple University Claire continued teaching as a reading specialist in various schools until her retirement in 1985. Claire loved to travel - with Walt, with family, with friends and on her own – visiting destinations across the US and Europe, and even sailing through the Panama Canal. She and Walt drove a VW camper van from Frankfurt Germany, through Holland, France, Spain and Austria. The same van carried them up through New England and across Canada on the Trans Canada Highway, south to Florida several times, and may other places in between. She explored England and Ireland, Norway and Sweden, Alaska, Arizona, California, and other locales too numerous to list. She was creative and talented with her hands, as a painter, a crafter, a knitter and a quilter. As generous as she was creative, many of Claire’s friends and family members have one-of-a-kind handmade quilts to remember her by. She will be dearly missed by her children Tami Ludwigsen and Cheryl Green (Chris), her grandchildren Bridget Claire Ludwigsen and Elena Claire Green, and by her extended family of nieces, nephews and cousins. Claire was preceded in death by her husband Walter, her mother Lilas Armstrong, her father Claude Armstrong and her brother Gordon Armstrong. Relatives and friends are invited to help celebrate her life at 10:30 AM at Alleva Funeral Home in Paoli, PA with interment at Valley Forge Memorial Gardens to follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the West Chester University Foundation. Please make checks payable to "WCU Foundation", Memo: In Memory of Claire A. Griffith, and mail to PO Box 541 West Chester, PA 19381.