Ralph W. Griffith

FALMOUTH - Ralph Warren Griffith, 85, of Falmouth, Maine died peacefully on February 25th at Gosnell Memorial Hospice House in Scarborough with his devoted wife by his side. He fought a gallant fight against COPD for many years. He was born January 27, 1931 in Minersville, PA to Marion (Barnhart) and Ralph Griffith. He attended local schools and graduated in 1952 from Penn State University with a BA in Liberal Arts. He was active in the dorm council, was a captain in ROTC and was tapped for Skull and Bones. After PSU he entered the army reserves at Camp Gordon, GA and Fort Monmouth, NJ, receiving a commission as second lieutenant in the signal corp. In 1953 Ralph was assigned to Berlin, serving with the Allied General Staff and promoted to first lieutenant. In the summer of 1953 he was assigned on loan to British Headquarters at the Olympic Stadium. Ralph started his 37 plus year career with Scott Paper Co. in 1954. He was promoted multiple times and transferred to locations across the country. While on a business trip from Maine to Boston, he met his future wife, Carol Ashton, originally from Vermont, who he married in 1975. He ended his career at S.D. Warrens (acquired by Scott) research laboratory in Westbrook, Maine. His love of travel and adventure took him to places such as New Zealand, Australia, Alaska and China. One of Ralphs favorite vacations was renting two condos in Vermont in August to include his daughters and their families. Ralph and Carol spent their winters first in AZ and then in recent years in FL. Ralph was a member of the Free Masons, the NRA, The National Republican Association and the VFW. He will be remembered for his generosity and readiness to help others. He was especially fond of his role as Big Teacher to a very special refugee family from Vietnam. His warm sense of humor and devilish love of jokes and puns endeared him to many. He was also a ravenous reader, passionate about history, a football fanatic, a nature lover, and a force to be reckoned with when it involved politics. As one of his nephews said, He was my favorite uncle for sure. Always a joy to be around and worth a few dozen laughs. A niece said of Ralph, Heaven is having to step up their game right now - They dont come better than Ralph. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Carol Ashton Griffith. He is also survived by his daughters from his previous marriage to Jane (Bryant), Jennifer Griffith and her daughter Audrey Griffith and his daughter, Amy Hart, husband Kevin and grandchildren Jane, Johnathan, Jason (aka Papas Big Buddy) and Julia, all of Massachusetts. He also leaves behind a large extended family. He loved all of us and we loved him. We will try to live a loving, joyous life.....to live as he did. Our heartfelt thanks go out to Ralphs caregivers, Dr.s Isabella Stumpf, Cynthia Burnham and Joel Wirth and the compassionate staff at Gosnell Memorial Hospice House. A private celebration of his life will be held at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of Conroy-Tully Crawford Funeral Homes, proudly serving the Veterans of Greater Portland. To view Ralphs memorial page or to share an online condolence, please visit www.ctcrawford.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to: Gosnell Memorial Hospice House 11 Hunnewell Rd. Scarborough, ME 04074 First United Methodist Church 102 Sunbury St. Minersville, PA 17954