Susan M. Griffin, 67, of St. Petersburg, Fla., and Burlington, Vt., passed away suddenly on January 25, 2025, in Burlington.
Susan was born in Middlebury, Vt., to Eileen Thomas on March 13, 1957. She graduated from Rice Memorial High School (class of ’75) and Champlain College. She married Robert Griffin on October 7, 1978, in Burlington. She worked as an accountant for many years for Hickock and Boardman and later for Mercy Connections. She was actively involved in the League of Women Voters, her Al-Anon group and a voluntary tax preparation service for folks with limited means, all in St. Petersburg. Her biggest joys were her grandchildren, welcoming endless FaceTime calls and tea parties with her granddaughters, Evelyn, Cora and Lydia; truck playtime with her grandson Julian; and the obligatory patty-cake and “Itsy Bitsy Spider” concerts for Gordon. Sue’s life was defined by her giving nature. If you needed help, she would jump on a plane to be there for you. If she heard you were sick, she would be there with soup. She might show up on your birthday with a homemade pie. She also loved to do yoga with her girlfriends and walking, biking and weight lifting with her husband.
Sue was preceded in death by her mother, Eileen Thomas, and her brother William Thomas.
Sue is survived by her husband, Robert Griffin; sons, Garrett Griffin and Robbie Griffin, and their wives, Clara Wreath Griffin and Stephanie Beland, respectively; sisters, Kathleen Shiverick and Ellen Bessette and her partner, Bruce Beaudoin; brother Michael Thomas and his wife, Sue Thomas-Frost; and grandchildren, Evelyn, Cora, Lydia, Julian and Gordon.
A wake will be held on Friday, January 31, 2025, 4 to 6 p.m., and a celebration of her life on Saturday, February 1, 2025, 1 to 3 p.m., both at Lavigne Funeral Home, 132 Main St., Winooski, VT.
Donations may be given to Mercy Connections in Burlington, Vt.
This article appears in Jan 22-28, 2025.