Patricia (Trish) Griffin Kesler

Patricia (Trish) Griffin Kesler, 70, of Raleigh, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on August 26th, after courageously facing Lewy Body Dementia. Though her final years brought hardship, she leaves behind a legacy of warmth, creativity, and quiet generosity that touched everyone who knew her.

Trish grew up in the small town of Farmville, North Carolina, alongside four siblings, and that upbringing forged a bond between them that many people never get to experience. This closeness was built from shared bedrooms, shared chores, and a childhood where family simply came first. That unique bond shaped her into the deeply loyal, family-centered woman she became.

Trish graduated from Farmville Central High School and then went on to study interior design at Auburn University. War Eagle ran through her veins from that day forward. She was an avid fan of college football and basketball, and that devotion never faded.

After graduating, Trish moved to Raleigh, where she met her husband, Ed, and eventually welcomed their daughter, Sarah Swan, who was the center of her universe. Her love for her daughter extended to her daughter’s friends. She genuinely welcomed them, keeping her doors, her table, and her heart open to them anytime, no invitation required.

Professionally, Trish built a thriving career in interior design and sales, where her talent, work ethic, and eye for beauty helped her excel. She had a rare talent for helping others see the potential in a space and in themselves.

Trish was, above all, a true servant of the Lord. She poured herself into her church community for years through the Altar Guild, faithfully cleaning, arranging flowers, washing and ironing linens, decorating for every holiday season, and even scraping wax from candles after services. She was firmly dedicated to the quiet, unseen work that keeps a church running and beautiful. Trish often cleaned the church simply because it needed to be done, asking for nothing in return. Her faith wasn't something she merely professed; it was something she lived out with her hands.

For more than 20 years, Trish also volunteered at Rex Hospital, offering comfort and compassion to patients and families during some of life's hardest moments, yet another expression of the servant's heart that defined her.

Trish is survived by her daughter, Sarah Swan O'Dea; son-in-law, Tod O'Dea; and cherished granddaughters, Darden and Harriet; her siblings Nora Griffin Williford (Chris), Joseph Carroll Griffin Jr. (Nicki), Donna Griffin Mathews, and Angela Griffin Perkins (Phillip); ten nieces and nephews; and countless friends and colleagues whose lives she touched.

Trish was preceded in death by her mother, Barbara Chaisson Griffin; her father, Joseph Carroll Griffin Sr.; and her husband, Ralph Edward Kesler, Jr.

Trish will be remembered for her deep faith, her devotion to her family, her servant’s heart, her love of the beach, and her unwavering Auburn pride. Whether surrounded by the people she loved or with her toes in the sand, basking in the warm sun, Trish found joy in life’s greatest blessings. She leaves behind countless lives forever changed by her love. War Eagle, Trish. Well done, good and faithful servant.

A Funeral Mass will be held on September 3, 2026, at 1:00 PM at Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, 715 Nazareth St, Raleigh. A reception will follow in the Parish Center.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Transitions LifeCare, 250 Hospice Circle, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27607 or to the SPCA of Wake County, 200 Petfinder Lane

Raleigh, NC 27603.

Brown-Wynne, 300 Saint Mary's Street, Raleigh, is serving the Kesler family.