ELIZABETH ANN GRIFFIN
1942-2021
Elizabeth Ann Griffin, or Betsy as many called her, passed away after a brief illness on July 2, 2021 surrounded by her loving family at the age of 79 years young.
Betsy was an avid baker of bread, a collector of quilts, and an accumulator of eclectic yard art and antiques of which she found on the many back roads and byways she preferred to take when traveling or attending the long garage sale that spans 800 miles. She had a personality one could describe as “a force to be reckoned with” and yet was her own worst critic. She loved hard and was sometimes hard to love but you couldn’t find a more loyal friend. She loved her friends very much, as if they were her own family, and remained close to them in person or in her preferred fashion of long phone conversations while having a smoke and a gin and tonic.
Betsy was preceded in death by her dear husband, Jack Maurice Griffin. They spent many happy years together raising their 5 daughters.
They chased their dream to live in beautiful Durango, Colorado moving there in the late 1970’s. She always felt it was such a gift to live in such a beautiful place for 11 years before returning home to Texas. Jack was the love of her life and she never quite got over losing him in 1996.
Betsy and Jack fostered more than 100 children over the years in Colorado and in Texas. She referred to their role in foster parenting as a safe place to nurture children until they found their forever families or were able to return home. They touched countless young lives. For more than 20 years Betsy was the proprietor of Griffin’s RV and Boat Storage. She ran a tight ship while maintaining good working relationships with her clients and customers, unless they forgot to lock the gate (you know who you are). It was no surprise to us how much she missed them and the work when she retired. She was a talented cook and baker, always reading and looking for a new recipe to try. She loved canning delicious jams, jellies, pickles, and relishes. She was also a college graduate, an antique shop owner, an ardent reader (we won’t mention that they were often passionate tales), plant lover, a counselor and a generous gift giver and prankster. She loved to call us to read cleverly written obituaries.
Betsy was preceded in death not only by her husband Jack but also by her parents Wenton Early Little and Helen Ruth Little.
She is survived by her brother Michael James Little and his wife Paula, her five daughters, Melissa Ann Whatley and husband Steve, Ruth Ann Biggs and husband Keith, Bonnie Griffin Nye and husband John, Karen Dolores Taylor and husband David, and Amy Kathleen Hansen and husband William. Also, her nephew Bradley Little and his wife Kelli and her niece Vanessa Little, 14 grandchildren and 7 great-grand children. Also, her “happy” dog Piper “the pooper” and her rescue cat, Mustafa, Muffaletta or whatever his name was on that day.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to cover the cost of this obituary, just kidding...maybe. In her honor please pay for the person behind you in any drive thru fast food joint or slip a little cash to a friend down on their luck. Any random act of kindness in her honor would be a blessing. She loved 5 pm, that time of day when you feel it’s acceptable to relax and have a cocktail. So, cheers Mom it’s 5 o’clock somewhere.