 1941 - 2015 (74 years)
-
| Name |
Blaine Leroy (Buck) Griffith |
| Birth |
23 Sep 1941 |
Zihlman, Allegany County, Maryland  |
| Gender |
Male |
| Death |
Oct 2015 |
Oakdale, Stanislaus County, California |
| Notes |
- OAKDALE, Calif. — Blaine Leroy (Buck) Griffith died at the age of 73 after eight years of coping with Chronic Lymphatic Leukemia and Shy-Drager Syndrome. Born at home in Zihlman, on Sept. 23, 1941, Blaine was the eighth of 11 children for his parents, William and Pearl Griffith. Blaine attended Beall High School and graduated from Frostburg University with a degree in education. He began his career at Howard High School in Altholton, as a biology, geography, and political science teacher. He then worked for the United States Department of Agriculture developing lesson plans for teachers based on recent research at the Beltsville Station in Maryland. Later, Blaine took a position as a park naturalist with the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission in Washington, D.C. During his tenure there, he was the developer and director of the Clearwater Nature Center in Clinton, the first nature center in Prince Georges County. Because of his work at the nature center, Blaine was assigned as a section head, supervising all interpretation conducted away from the nature center leading to his development of the Patuxent River Park in Brandywine, including Pataxent Outdoor Programs, Patuxent Discovery, and the Urban Nature Project. At the Patuxent River Park, Blaine constructed a boardwalk nature trail through the river wetlands that was innovative for that time. In the early 80s, Blaine moved his family to Oakdale, Calif., to begin a career in construction, which had been his hobby, and worked for J.L. Bray and Sons. Later, he co-founded Construction Management Corporation Inc. in Modesto, from which he retired in 2006. Blaine was well-known for his cooking skills and his use of all varieties of chile peppers. For 10 years, he hosted his annual "Pepper Party" for friends and family featuring a large variety of chile peppers in the food creations. This annual event culminated in Blaine being featured as the "Pepper King" in the October 1996 Sunset Magazine, which included several of his recipes. Along with his love of gardening, Blaine enjoyed his annual Alaskan salmon fishing trips with his buddies, and the weekly happy hour event with good champagne. Blaine is survived by his wife of 46 years, Jane (Zimowski) Griffith; sisters, Nancy Grant of Cumberland, Janie Cumiskey of Jacksonville, Fla.; brother, Joe Griffith of Portsmouth, Va.; and sister-in-law, Glenna Griffith of Oakdale; three children, Jennifer Griffith of Santa Barbara, Ben (Christy) Griffith of Riverbank, and Rebecca Griffith of Portland, Ore.; and three grandchildren, Bailey Thompson of Tehachapi, Jackson and Jade Griffith of Riverbank. To honor Blaine, make a donation in his memory to the Alexander Cohen Hospice House c/o Community Hospice Foundation, 4368 Spyres Way, Modesto, CA 95356. Their wonderful staff provided safe and trusting care in Blaines final days. Also thank you to Larry and Nancy Podolsky for their caring support and Mike Mack for the many visits and chocolate milk deliveries. Cumberland Times-News, October 10, 2015
|
| Person ID |
I41022 |
McKenzie Genealogy |
| Last Modified |
29 Oct 2021 |
| Father |
William F. Griffith, b. Jul 1895, Frostburg, Allegany County, Maryland d. 3 Apr 1976, Martinsburg, Berkley County, West Virginia (Age ~ 80 years) |
| Relationship |
natural |
| Mother |
Laura Pearl McKenzie, b. 8 Oct 1901, Garrett County, Maryland d. 15 Nov 1986, Frostburg, Allegany County, Maryland (Age 85 years) |
| Relationship |
natural |
| Family ID |
F01740 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
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