Kathleen Griffin

Kathleen “Katie” Anne Griffin, age 78, of Ronkonkoma, NY passed away on Monday, July 26, 2021 after a beautiful life filled with laughter, love, and joy.

Katie was born in Queens, NY to the late Michael and Mary Dillon, who both emigrated from Ireland. Like her 5 brothers and sisters, she attended Fourteen Holy Martyrs for grades 1-8; she then went on to graduate from All Saints High School. After graduation she worked for an ad agency in Manhattan before meeting the love of her life, Jerry Griffin.  After they married, they moved to Long Island to raise their 3 boys.

While the boys were young, Katie taught at a nearby nursery school, and as her boys grew, she became an assistant at the office of Dr. Maury Marmor. She stayed there happily for over 20 years alongside extraordinary colleagues and friends. She retired in 2015, which was, by no small coincidence, the same year as the arrival of her first grandchild.

Katie loved her family unconditionally. She was the life of any party, and if another chair needed to be added to the Thanksgiving table, then so be it – the sofa would simply have to go.  Whatever it took, there would always somehow be room.   She loved her cruising adventures and vineyards visits with friends, traveling with her boys, having daughters-in-law to laugh with, and anything at all having to do with her two beautiful granddaughters. As long as everyone was happy, it didn’t matter how big or small the moment was; she lived for them all.

Katie is predeceased by her husband Gerald Griffin, her parents Michael and Mary Dillon, and her brother Roger. She is survived by her son Gerald Griffin, his wife Anna Louise, and their daughter Cosima; her son John Griffin; her son Edward Griffin, his wife Denise, and their daughter Honor; her sisters Rosemary and Joan; her brother James and his wife Kathy; her brother John; her sister-in-law Nancy; her niece Margaret and her husband Robert; her nephew James and his wife Barbara; her niece Annemarie; her nephew Michael, her niece Amanda and her husband Noah; her nephew Colin; her nephew Christopher and his wife Josephine; her niece Ellen and her husband Glenn; her niece Tara and her husband John; her niece Kerry and her husband McCord; her nephew Tom and his wife Cynthia; her niece Maura and her husband Rei, her nephew Christopher and his wife Trish; and many beloved grandnieces, grandnephews, and friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to The Uniformed Firefighters Association Widows’ and Children’s Fund at https://ufanyc.org/philanthropy