Charles Griffiths

He was born in Jamaica, West Indies in the Parrish of Saint Catherine on November 20, 1935 to Rhuel Griffiths and Estella Thompson. As a young boy growing up in Kingston, Jamaica, Charles enjoyed going to soccer games and playing music for his friends. During summer holidays from school he gained expert skills in auto mechanics at B. F. Lettman Garage in Kingston. He worked there for many years until he immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 32. Together with his wife Daphne, who he loved throughout his youth, raised four daughters in Queens, New York.

Charles was a dedicated father and husband whose life's work was to provide for his family. His daughters attended St. Catherine of Sienna Catholic School in St. Albans, Queens, New York and were lovingly raised by parents who made a commitment to ensuring that family was a priority. Charles Rupert Griffiths set a tremendous example of what it meant to be a hardworking family man, brother, and friend. Charles and Daphne relocated to Port Charlotte, Florida to stay connected with close family friend Millicent Gibson and became U.S. Citizens in 1999. He worked for Charlotte County Public Schools for 20 years before retiring in 2013.

His courageous effort to maintain family values and his love of cooking traditional West Indian meals was evident just days before his passing when he listed the ingredients he needed to make codfish and green bananas for Sunday breakfast.

He leaves behind his wife of 56 years, Daphne, his daughters Jennifer, Julia, Jackie, and Joanne; grandchildren, Jemaine, Jillian, Jamal, Jasmine, Jordan, and Justin and his great grandchildren Jailyn, Jamir, Jada, and Judah.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at the St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, 21505 Augusta Avenue, Port Charlotte, FL 33952 on Thursday, April 12, 2018 at 11:00am.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to contribute to a scholarship fund in Charles' name at Charlotte Technical College or to Tidewell Hospice.