Dennis Stuart Griswold

Dennis Stuart Griswold, age 84, of Portland, OR passed away on April 14th, 2026. Born June 30, 1941 in Woodland, WA to Ida and Homer Griswold, he spent his early life in Kalama, WA on the farm and timber land his family homesteaded in the 1870’s. His parents later settled in Scappoose, OR where Dennis and his brothers, Duane and Gerald, enjoyed exploring the nearby creek, building model airplanes, and tinkering with cars. His lifelong interest in nature and natural artist’s eye led him to Portland State University where he graduated with a major in Geography and a minor in Fine Arts.

While at PSU he met a transplant from the East Coast who lived in the same apartment building and had an old Vespa. Being good with motors, Dennis helped her get her scooter started each morning, and one thing led to another. He proposed with the understatedly romantic “Well, I hear they aren’t drafting married guys.” Dennis and Judith Taff wed September 25, 1965.

After a brief stint wearing a suit and tie as a city planner, Dennis concentrated on his craftsmanship. He made leather sandals and headbands and threw pottery to sell alongside psychedelic posters at the Portland storefront he and Judy opened: Gremlyns. They fled the country when Nixon was elected and hitchhiked Europe with their young son Ian. Eventually they returned to the US and completed their family with the arrival of their daughter Karen (the apple of her father’s eye since 1974). Dennis worked as a mail carrier, but became disillusioned with the government after their house was raided by the FBI for harboring fugitives from Reagan’s California. He returned to craft and made a career as a cabinetmaker. He ran his own business–Thurman Cabinet NW–until his retirement in 2015. As he said, “The important thing is, I loved doing it.”

In retirement, Dennis became a fixture of the neighborhood. He loved to sit outside and watch the world go by, and took great joy in talking to neighbors and watching children play or walk to and from school. His favorite was when anyone would come to work on the house; he would be transported back to the camaraderie and cadence of being on a job site.

A man of diverse interests, at different times in his life Dennis could be found riding motorcycles, racing go karts with his son, making and collecting wine, coaching his daughter’s soccer team, creating the perfect sandwich, watching Masterpiece Theater, or listening to Classical music. His greatest passion was his grandchildren, and he was a near-daily presence for large portions of their lives, from rooting them on at soccer to getting them to and from school.

Dennis will be remembered for his humor, calm demeanor, curiosity, and his joy in noticing details of his surroundings. A quiet person, if given the floor he was equally at home holding forth on any number of esoteric topics, or simply describing the beauty of the patterns of light falling on the sidewalk.

He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Judith; his two children, Ian and Karen; and his four grandchildren, Brooke, Byron, Milo, and Linus. He was preceded in death by his parents and two younger brothers, Duane and Gerald.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, consider making a donation to Dennis’s favorite nonprofit: All Classical Radio.