Joseph J. Griffin passed away on Tuesday, October 22nd, 2019, after a long illness. Joe was born on June 28th, 1932 in New York, New York to Anna R. (Minnick) Griffin and Joseph F. Griffin. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his beloved wife of 58 years, Elizabeth (Betty) J. Rutledge Griffin. Joe was the devoted father of Elizabeth A., Mary, Catherine, Robert, Patricia, and Gail.
After graduating from Fordham University with a BA in Psychology, Joe served in the Army where he was a First Lieutenant. He went on to receive his MBA from New York University, and his J.D. from Fordham Law School. He was a longtime employee of American Brands, later called Fortune Brands, from which he retired in 1997 with the title of Vice President and Assistant to the Chairman.
In addition to his children, Joe leaves behind his sons-in-law Jeffrey Kant and Merlin Batista, his daughter-in-law Jo-Ann Griffin, his grandchildren Bethany, Kelly, Michael, Kevin, Christopher, Kerri, Joseph, James, Haleigh, and his great-granddaughter, Remi.
Joe was an avid gardener and loved animals. His dog Coco and cat Tyler spent hours each day on his lap. Joe was a great reader. He was always in the middle of reading four books at a time, but all would be devoured before week's end. He could tell you anything you wanted to know about history. He loved British culture and spent hours enjoying "Masterpiece Theatre." Joe was rarely without a cup of coffee or tea, and loved finding recipes to make for family dinners on Sundays. He was a religious man, who valued his faith. He had the best New York accent and amused his kids with his pronunciation of words that ended with "-er." Joe was brilliant, funny, hard working, humble, and a straight talker. He always had his family's welfare on his mind, a rosary in his pocket, and a good joke to share on his lips, right up to the end of his life. He will be missed.
A visitation will be held on Sunday, October 27th, from 2pm - 6pm at the Leo P. Gallagher & Son Funeral Home, 2900 Summer Street. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, October 28, 2019, 10:00 AM at St. Leo Catholic Church, 24 Roxbury Rd, Stamford. Burial will follow at St. Mary Cemetery, Greenwich.
In his honor, donations can be made to the Joseph J. Griffin Scholarship at Fordham University. http://www.fordham.edu/give
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