Dorian Lucille Griffin's Obituary
Dorian L. “Lucille” Griffin passed away on July 13, 2015 at Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, CA.; she was 79 years old. Lucille left us with her two sons at her side, following complications from an illness. The eldest of five children born to Joseph E. G. and Dorian M. Kempton, she was preceded in death by her brother Joseph L. Kempton and sister-in-law Carolyn J. Grove. Lucille is survived by her sons James S. and Jody E. Griffin, sisters Patricia J. Martin of Lakeside, CA. and Irene M. Harden of Yuba City, CA., brother James J. Kempton of Loma Rica, CA. , ex-husband Jack H. Griffin of Ramona, CA., and many nieces, nephews, and others who called her Aunt Lou, Aunt “Lukey” or “Mom”. Born October 14, 1935 in San Diego, she grew up in varied spots in the county; Pacific Beach, La Jolla, Lemon Grove were places she called home. Although her grandmother tried to teach her to be a lady, she turned out as more of a tomboy. As a young woman, listening to Johnny Cash at the old Bostonia Ballroom was enjoyed as much as races at El Cajon Speedway, riding on the back of her cousin Bill’s motorcycle, or the bullfights in Tijuana. During those years she met a young man from Georgia who had come out to stay with his sister; she eventually married him, becoming Mrs. Jack Griffin and part of another family, with Escondido becoming their home. As a stay-at-home wife, she had two sons, Jamey and Jody; circumstances changed and she became a single working mother, still remaining close to both families. A graduate of SDSU, she was a longtime employee of the Escondido Union School District where she worked as an office manager at Orange Glen Elementary, a position she held for over 20 years, making many friends along the way. Lucille spent her spare time doing many things including genealogy research for the entire family with the help of her lifelong friend Jacque Beck. She also enjoyed making miniature teddy bears under her own label “Barefoot Critters” as a member of the San Diego Teddy Bear Artists Club, many of who remain close friends. She also enjoyed working in her cactus garden at home. As part of her genealogy research, one of her favorite things to do was to travel the country trying to track down the resting places of family members. Lucille enjoyed traipsing thru old forgotten graveyards, looking for markers with various family names. On one trip, she and her friend Jacque visited the Utah State Archives in Salt Lake City, spending hours digging thru books, paper files and microfilm, before such information was easily available on the internet. She found the resting place of Elbridge Gerry in a cornfield in Montana, and located a number of cemeteries and burial sites that family members knew existed, but didn’t know precisely where. More than once, her sister-in-law Carolyn traveled with her to Georgia doing just that. Spending time with her family and friends was a favorite pastime of hers; an avid sports fan, she enjoyed cheering on her favorite teams, the Chargers and the Padres. Lucille also enjoyed going to the casino with Carolyn and good friend & neighbor Ollie Sering; it was common for them to get home after 2 in the morning. Health issues in recent years prevented Lucille from enjoying many of her hobbies, but she tried not to let it slow her down. Kidney problems eventually led to dialysis; vision problems prevented her from reading easily. Life slowed down for her, and she slowed with it. Still, Lucille enjoyed simple things like a meal out with family or friends; going out with her friend Shirley who came every Friday after work to take her to dinner and catch up, or visiting with her teddy bear ladies, the monthly “Lunch Bunch” gathering was looked forward to by all. Family dinners with her ex-husband Jack and his wife Arline were especially enjoyed. Trips to visit family were replaced by doctor’s appointments and all too frequent hospital stays and time spent in convalescent care. Still, she managed to make new friends of nursing staff and other patients, many of whom came to enjoy Lucille’s offbeat sense of humor; Debbie and the staff at Davita Dialysis nicknamed her “Thumper” because of several falls where she bumped some part of her body. Cataract surgery helped improve her vision and her outlook, but it came a little too late. Illness finally got the best of her, but she remained feisty & stubborn until the end. With her sons each holding one of her hands, she passed from this world as peacefully as could be expected, leaving behind many who will miss her and remember her fondly. At her request, we are laying Lucille to rest beside her parents and near many other family members that she held dear. A graveside service will be held Saturday, July 25 at 1pm for anyone who wishes to attend. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to a charity of your choice in Lucille’s name.
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