Patricia (Patty) Ann (Whitehead) Griffith

Patricia (Patty) Ann (Whitehead) Griffith of Fort Myers Florida passed away peacefully Tuesday night February 10.

She is survived by her 4 children, Diane Osborne and her husband Tim of Marathon Florida and their children, Eric, Melissa, and Jason; Marcia Wooten and her husband Chan of Eatontown, New Jersey and their children, Lara and Rachel; Cathy Keene and Vince Sternthal of Tampa Florida, and her son Dustin; Mike Griffith and Carla Bolton of Fort Myers, Florida and his children, Ryan, Heather, Lacey, and Olivia. In addition to her 10 grandchildren she was the proud great grandmother of Abby Harris, Victoria Osborne, and Christopher Griffith.

Patty was born March 21, 1928 in Evansville Indiana and was a graduate of Bosse High School [1945] in Evansville. She was married to Mack in 1949. They later moved to Temple Terrace, Florida in 1959 where she lived until shortly after Mack passed away in July of 2003. She then moved to Fort Myers where she spent the remainder of her life surrounded by friends and family.

Patty will be deeply missed for she was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and just an all around special person.

A special thanks to the staff of Joanne's House of Hope Hospice for all their compassion. There will be a memorial service for friends and family on Saturday, February 21 at 3:00 PM at her home in Fort Myers to celebrate her and Macks life together.

February 17, 2009
I was blessed to have met Patti in my lifetime. I will never forget what a grand, unique, inspirational, and funny lady she was. I only knew her for a short period of time but, she made a huge impact in my life.I will miss her smile and laughter the most. Prayers and love to her entire family. Dawn Prindlde, Fort Myers, Florida

February 18, 2009
Nana was such a sweet lady. I remember when we went to Tampa and stayed with her, she fussed over us and made us feel so special and welcome... and she made the best spaghetti pie on the planet, I still remember that! You all are in my prayers during this difficult time. Meaghan Starkey, Boynton Beach, Florida

February 18, 2009
I will never forget the tiny lady with a big heart that I was lucky enough to have met 19 years ago. I loved going to Nana's house and looking at old photographs of she and Grandad with the family growing up. What a beautiful woman she was! I remember Christmas time there was so much fun....the family all coming to town and getting together for the holidays if only for a short time. I swear I have never seen so many presents under one tree in my entire life! You could tell by the look on Nana's face how proud she was of her children and grandchildren and how much she loved them. I can't recall ever seeing her when I didn't receive a huge hug, she had a way of making you feel you had always been a part of her family. I will always treasure the last time I saw her in the Keys at Diane's house. I can still see her sitting there on the back porch playing with my daughter Abby, giggling and making funny faces at one another. I wish I could have spent more time with her the past few years and listen to memories from the past. But I truly believe she is now hugging Grandad and dancing on golden streets in heaven, smiling down at everyone and waiting for the day she can see her beloved family once again. My heart and prayers are with you all. Love you Nana, may you be at peace now and forever. Karen Harris, Valrico, Florida

February 19, 2009
Soon after my husband and I met he took me to Temple Terrace to meet his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Griffith. They were the first people he told me about in the beginning of our relationship and always spoke so fondly of them. One childhood memory he shared with me was when he tricked Nana into ordering some crazy, made up ice cream flavor in a drive through. She loved that story too, and always said how she had never been so embarrassed in her whole life. My personal favorite is the story of how Jason always wanted to be so close to her that he would step and stand on her toes. That one is evidence of how much of a bond she had with her grandchildren, and how she impacted their lives in such a positive way.
A couple of months ago Jason and I decided to take a trip to Ft. Myers to visit Nana. It was a short visit that lasted only a few hours but it meant so much to have that time with her, just the four of us. Our daughter, Victoria, led her by the hand all through the house looking at all of the family photos. She read books with her and they had a great time. Victoria is too young to remember the times that she spent with her great-grandmother, but she will know her, and Mr. Griffith, because they will always be a part of our family. I am sad that she will not be here to meet her forth great-grandchild, but I know that she will be smiling down on all of us with pride as her family continues to grow. I can only imagine how wonderful it was for her to reunite with her husband in heaven. They are together again and will continue to bless the lives of the people they love so dearly. I feel honored to have known her and will always remember her as being a woman of warmth, kindness, and grace. Our conversations will remain in my heart and I thank her for all that she shared with my husband and I. She will be missed! Jennie Osborne, Valrico, Florida