Obituary of Edward Joseph Griffin

It is with great sadness and regret that we announce the passing of Edward Joseph Griffin, born on September 22, 1925 in Montreal, Canada. Ted passed away peacefully on June 25, 2023 at the age of 97, at Good Shepherd-Fairview Home in Binghamton, NY. Born in 1925 as the son of Edward and Kathleen Griffin, he graduated from De La Salle College in Washington, D.C., and became a Christian Brother (Brother Antony Griffin) in 1944. Over the next 20 years, he served at several schools in Manhattan and the Bronx, in various positions from teacher to Principal and Director of the House. In 1964, Ted volunteered to serve at the Mara Secondary School in Tanzania, during which time he climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. He met his wife, Else Marie Griffin, in 1968 and received a dispensation from his vows. In 1969, Ted and Else moved to New York and he continued teaching, taking a position at Nassau Community College in 1969 with the Reading and Basic Education department. Ted earned a Master's in Education (Hofstra University), Master's in Arts (Fordham University), and Doctorate in Education (Hofstra University). He retired as a professor emeritus and the Department of Reading and Basic Education chair at Nassau Community College in June 1995. He continued to teach part-time at Nassau Community College until November 2000. Ted's interests included Norwegian folk dancing, guitar playing, traveling, camping, reading, and hiking. He was predeceased by his wife, Else Marie Griffin; sisters, Joan and Margaret; and brothers, Gerald, Kevin, and Thomas. He is survived by his daughters, Teresa (and Matt) Steflik of Endwell and LtCol Kristina Griffin, USMC (ret) (and Don Williams) of Annandale, VA; and granddaughter, Sarah Steflik of Endwell. Ted's family would like to thank everyone involved in his care at iCare Adult Home Services, The Hearth at Castle Gardens, and Good Shepard-Fairview Home. The family will receive friends and family at Coleman and Daniels Funeral Home, 765 Main Street, Vestal, NY 13850 on Friday, July 7, from 4-7 p.m. A funeral mass will be held at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, 801 Main St, Vestal, NY 13850 on Saturday, July 8, at 10:30 a.m., followed by the internment of his ashes for family and close friends. The family wishes to express their heartfelt thanks and appreciation for all of the support during this very difficult time and in lieu of flowers, encourages donations to the Animal Care Council of Endicott (animalcarecouncil.org), Broome County Humane Society (https://bchumanesoc.com/), or Food Bank of the Southern Tier (https://www.foodbankst.org/).