Patricia Griffiths

Patricia Ann Griffiths came into this world on Tuesday, June 27, 1933.

She was born in Gary, Indiana, the only child of Alfred and Georgia (Emmert) Smith.

While in high school, she met the love of her life, George Roger Griffiths. They were wedded on September 28, 1957, and together raised three children John, David, and Susan. From Gary, the family moved to Hinsdale, Illinois, and later to Sheboygan in 1973.

Pat received her Bachelors Degree in Education from Lakeland College and her Masters from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. She was an elementary school teacher in the Sheboygan Area School District at Grant School and a resource teacher with the PACE Program. She was an early advocate for arts integration in schools. Her students learned about more than simply academics. They learned about themselves.

Those who knew Pat know that she loved the art of Oaxaca, Mexico. And the art of her grandchildren. She held dear creativity in all its forms. The potters wheel and kiln in the basement stand as testament to her love of ceramics. The grandchildrens handmade sweaters and dresses that will be passed down to great grandchildren, speak to her tremendous love and impeccable talent for sewing and knitting. One need only spend a summer afternoon in her backyard to appreciate the joy she found in gardening. Bookshelves bowed by the weight of cookbooks (we lost count around 150) are proof of her passion for cooking. To dine at Pat and Georges place was to have the choicest seat in the house, at the finest restaurant in town, among the very best company anywhere.

Pat had artists hands. Weathered by age and sculpted by a lifetime of embracing lifes times. Making art. Tending gardens. Raising children. Nurturing grandchildren. Cooking. Sewing. Teaching. Learning. Playing. Living.

She is survived by her husband George, her sons John (Karen), and David of Minneapolis, and daughter Susan (Blaine Huber) of Sheboygan; by grandchildren Alexa and Carolyn Griffiths, Max, Smith, and Liesl Huber, and her beloved dog, Ali. She was preceded in death by her parents.

Pat leaves an indelible legacy with her quiet strength, dignity, grace, humor, and humility. She is not gone. She will live forever in the very fortunate many who were touched by her life. The love she shared with those around her will continue to grow, to be taught and passed down to the children of her childrens children, and beyond. She is and always will be a very special part of us. Forever.

Daughter. Wife. Mother. Teacher. Grandmother. Friend. Patricia Ann Griffiths left this world on Saturday morning, March 12, 2016.

In between, she gave us 82 breathtakingly beautiful years.

A visitation for friends and relatives to celebrate Patricias life will be held on April 10, 2016 from 1:00 to 3:00pm at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center. Remembrances will shared at 1:30pm. Please visit www.ballhornchapels.com to sign the guestbook.

The family suggests memorial contributions be sent to the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Mead Public Library, or The tude Group schools.