Barbara J. Griffith
Barb passed away peacefully and into God's arms on Jan. 14, 2010, after a determined battle against cancer. Her sparkling smile will be greatly missed by her family and friends. She was a direct reflection of agape love, as so beautifully expressed in I Corinthians 13. Each of her children knew they were her favorite, and she loved them unconditionally while praying for the best of God's blessings for each one. She had the biggest heart for everyone she met, willing to give anything she had to those less fortunate. She was born in San Francisco, CA in 1931, the daughter of Pastor William and Helen Westerhout, into a family of two boys and four girls. She met her husband, Wayne Griffith while attending college at Pacific Union College, who entered the ministry and eventually became involved in Preventive Medicine outreach for the church as a health educator and teacher. Along the way, they lovingly brought four children into the world. They traveled extensively in their work, including two different times as missionaries in Lima, Peru and at AIIAS in the Philippines. Barb went back to school after moving to South Lancaster, MA, and earned her nursing degree at Atlantic Union College, while raising her four children. She worked in many areas of nursing but her favorites were ICU/CCU and Community Health nursing. After Wayne died in an auto accident in 1994 just prior to retirement, she lived in Nampa, Idaho for 12 years. Three years ago she moved to Sonora, CA to live near her family and the last 6 months she lived in San Diego with her daughter, Jan. She is survived by her children: Randy and Kim Griffith of Elizabeth, CO and Dallas, TX; Jan and Phil Widmann of San Diego, CA and Waterloo, IA; Ron and Kim Griffith of Bakersfield, CA; Julie and Daryl Porter of Chapel Hill, NC.; sisters: Dorothy Harris and James (deceased) of Sonora, CA; Elizabeth Barclay and John (deceased) of San Rafael, CA; Joyce and Russ Hanson of Sonora, CA.; brothers: William A. Westerhout Jr. (deceased) and Laurene of Foresthill, CA; Robert and Stephanie Westerhout of Klamath, CA.; nine grandchildren and one great-granddaughter who were the lights of her life and 14 nieces and nephews A Celebration of Life service was held on January 23rd at La Mesa Adventist Community Church, CA. A graveside memorial at Canyon Hill Cemetery in Caldwell, ID will be held in the spring when her ashes will be buried next to her husband, Wayne. Memorial donations may be contributed to San Diego Hospice & Institute for Palliative Medicine, Research & Education Foundation, 4311 Third Ave, San Diego, CA 92103-1407 (619) 278-6100, www.sdhospice.org.

Published in Idaho Statesman on January 24, 2010