Talley, Mae Sue

John and Mary Ellen Wood and was one of 16 children. She met the love of her life, Paul Fredrick "Fred" Griffis at the Grand Canyon in 1957. Soon after, they married and began their family. She loved, supported and believed in her children emphatically. Kathryn was a woman of faith and the way she lived her life was a clear testament to that. She will be remembered for her deep love of family and the kindness she extended to others throughout her life. She set subtle yet powerful examples to everyone by welcoming all to her table, by volunteering to deliver fellowship and support to elderly shut-ins and by establishing a similar service for parishioners of Saint Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church in Sun City. Although her failing memory took away her ability to formally serve, her spirit of generosity and kindness lived on. Even as her memory faded, she was routinely the most empathetic person in the room and went out of her way to make others feel welcomed and loved. These great lessons are her legacy and we cherish these gifts. Kathryn was preceded in death by her parents John and Mary Ellen; her husband, Fred; and her siblings (Richard Wood, Robert Wood, Alice Fritz and John Wood). She is survived by her sons Richard Griffis (Julie) and Michael Griffis (Schaun); her daughter Deborah Griffis (Ray Dryjanski); her grandchildren David Griffis, Sara Griffis and Amy Griffis; her great grandson James Griffis; her brothers, William Wood, Patrick Wood, Joseph Wood and James Wood; and her sisters Jonna Mae Daly, Mary Dale, Barbara Downing, Shelia Wood, Jean Moreno, Rosie Detterline and Paulette Sisson. Visitation will be held at the Advantage Golden Door Chapel, 11211 W. Michigan Ave, in Youngtown, AZ on Thursday, on April 6, 2017 from 2:00-4:00 p.m. A rosary will be said at 3:00 p.m. Mass will be held the following day at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church, 9728 W. Palmeras, Sun City, AZ at 10:00 a.m. The Honorable Mae Sue Talley, a prominent Phoenix philanthropist and Arizona leader, beloved mother and grandmother, passed away on Thursday, March 9, at the age of 93, a great loss to her family and Arizona’s civic and business communities. Mrs. Talley was born on November 27, 1923 in Hampton, Virginia, to Jacob Rechsteiner and Mazelle Dunham Rechsteiner. She grew up in Hampton and Evansville, Indiana. Mrs. Talley attended Indiana University. She was married to rocketry pioneer and inventor, the late Franz G. Talley, for 38 years until his death in 1978. Mr. Talley was known for his designs in ejection seat, automobile airbag, and other safety technologies. Mrs. Talley served Arizona and her country as an executive, diplomat and philanthropist. Mrs. Talley and her husband founded Talco Engineering in Connecticut after WWII; they moved to Arizona for the founding of Talley Industries in the 1950’s. Talley Industries grew into a diversified Fortune 500 company and was a major employer in the Phoenix metro area for several decades. She purchased and continued publication of the Arizonian, the state’s first newspaper. As Director of Interior Design, she oversaw the rebuilding of the Arizona Biltmore after a fire damaged much of the property. The family also owned and ran the historic Castle Hot Springs Resort, which she later gifted to Arizona State University. During Talley Industries’ ownership, the Biltmore transferred Squaw Peak and much of the current Phoenix Mountain Preserve to the City of Phoenix. This transfer helped to form the large metropolitan park and prevented further development in this scenic area. The Talley family spearheaded the founding of Phoenix Country Day School in 1960. She served as its first Chairman of the Board and was a major benefactor during the school’s early years. Mrs. Talley was a tireless advocate for the empowerment of women. Her wit and grace was apparent when she served as Vice Chair for the Defense Department Advisory Commission on Women in the Services. Her efforts there led to the opening of the nation’s service academies to women. During the 1980’s Mrs. Talley served with the U.S. Agency for International Development and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. She also was a Commissioner for the United States Commission on Public Diplomacy, UNESCO, the President’s Export Council, the Commission on Presidential Scholars and the President’s Commission on Executive Exchange and numerous other government commissions. Mrs. Talley was a long-serving board member of the Taliesin Foundation and the Arizona Graduate School of International Management. She chaired or served on over 30 other non-profit boards, such as the ASU Foundation. She was a founding board member for organizations including: Hospice of the Valley, Barrow’s Neurological Institute Women’s Board, Phoenix Opera Company and the Stillman-McCormick Railroad Park in Scottsdale. She and her daughter donated the family’s historic Roald Amundsen Pullman car, originally used by each president from Hoover to Eisenhower, to the park. Mrs. Talley received numerous awards during her lifetime, including an honorary doctorate from Arizona State University. Most recently, she received the Joe Foss Institute’s Stars in Service Award in 2014 and induction to the Arizona Women’s Hall of Fame in 2016.