Lucille Griffith Lewis

Lucille, “Luci,” Griffith Lewis peacefully left this earthly life and went to join her beloved husband, Warren, in Heaven on September 26, 2011. Luci was born on February 4, 1920 in Harmon, Oklahoma to James Edwin Griffith and Margaret Belle Ross Griffith. She was the middle child in an Oklahoma ranching family of seven with two older sisters and two younger brothers. As the third little girl born in only five years, Luci was brought up learning many skills normally attributed to only boys in that particular era—she could ride bareback, shoot three to four ducks with one shot, skin a hog, and pick out a prize winning registered steer to butcher.

Luci attended school for the first eight years in a one room schoolhouse at the end of her family’s pasture. Later, she rode sixty miles by bus to and from school each day to attend high school in nearby Fargo, thanks to her father’s insistence that the area’s youth get a high school education. It was in high school that she discovered her talent for sewing and tailoring; that talent would later manifest itself in self-designed and handmade cowboy shirts for her son, suits for work for her husband, and dresses and outfits for her daughter. As education was extremely important to the Griffith family, Luci continued her education at Woodward Junior College in the nursing program. This knowledge was put to good use all her life, even though she changed majors at Oklahoma Agriculture and Mechanical College (Oklahoma State University). Majoring in home economics with an emphasis in color and design and nutrition and dietetics, Luci worked full-time as a nanny and a waitress at a boarding house while taking 21 units each semester. One of the boarders from the boarding house offered to walk her home one night; that first walk was the beginning of a 68 year journey with her cherished Warren. They were married May 8, 1943. In 1951 while living in Ponca City, Oklahoma, Luci and Warren were blessed with a baby boy, Barry, and in 1962 the family joyously welcomed a baby girl, Ruthayn.

After graduating from OSU, Luci worked as a traveling home economist for the state of Oklahoma, teaching women about canning, victory gardens, meal preparation, and furniture refinishing. While her husband went back to school, Luci taught on a nearby Indian reservation. She, Warren, and her brother Bill spent a summer harvesting wheat from Texas to the Canadian border. When Warren went back to work for Conoco Oil and was assigned to Sussex Oil Field, “in the middle of nowhere,” Luci joyfully set up shop and joined him on a trek that would cover “wide spots in the road,” small towns, and major cities throughout Wyoming and Colorado. This period of time allowed her to follow her passions and hone her skills at painting, hunting, canning, gardening, leather working, re-upholstering furniture, quilting, and taking care of her two children. She served as a leader for Boy and Girl Scout troops, as well as teaching small boys how to gig and cook frogs!

When the family moved to Ventura, Luci went back to teaching and taught kindergarten for several years at Saticoy School and then went into property management for the family’s rental properties. At this time she also took up ceramics, jewelry making, and pine needle basketry. She also found a way to share her love of sewing and helping others by making Raggedy Ann and Andy costumes and dolls for the Adventures in Caring Organization, a volunteer group specializing in visiting critically ill hospital or convalescent home patients. Luci made over 1,100 dolls over the years until her death and was recognized for her outstanding efforts by being named as one of George Bush’s “Thousand Points of Light.”

Luci and Warren both loved to boat, camp, and hunt. The family spent many happy vacations on Yellowstone Lake, Alcova Lake, and at their property on the side of Mt. Shasta. Luci loved traveling with Warren around the United States in several different motor homes. They belonged to several camping clubs over the years which toured the Southwestern states. They also enjoyed traveling outside of the United States, making trips to Scandinavia, Russia, Iceland, the Middle East, and Europe. Luci’s all-time favorite trip was a family vacation to “the old sod” to her ancestral home in Ireland with her son, daughter-in-law, and three of her grandchildren.

Luci was very active in the communities in which she lived. She was an involved and faithful member of the Methodist Church in whatever community her family resided. In Ventura she attended both College United Methodist Church and First United Methodist Church, serving on many different boards and commissions. She and Warren were among the founding members of Poinsettia Gardens in Ventura, the first planned modular home community in California. She was a proud member of Eastern Star for 53 years.

Luci is survived by her son, Barry Lewis (wife, Kathy); daughter, Ruthayn Fetterolf; and grandchildren, Geoffrey Lewis, Caitlin Lewis, Matthew Lewis, Kurtis De Dios, Meagan Fetterolf, and Shane Fetterolf.

The family wishes to thank the ICU nursing staff at Community Memorial Hospital; the Livingston Memorial Nursing Hospice staff, especially Dan and Karen; Ella Madaus, Luci’s caregiver; and The Sister Servants of Mary, as well as Reverend Chuck Simmons and Reverend Mary Birgelaitis, for their compassionate care and support.

In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the Scholarship Fund of the Ventura First United Methodist Church or Adventures in Caring, 1528 Chapala Street, Suite #202, Santa Barbara, CA 93101.

A private family graveside service will be held on Friday, October 14, at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park, 5400 Valentine Road, Ventura.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 15, at First United Methodist Church, 1338 E. Santa Clara Avenue, Ventura.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Ted Mayr Funeral Home, 3150 Loma Vista Rd., Ventura

Condolences may be left at TedMayrFuneralHome.com.