Patsy Ruth Griffith

1933 - 2020

Patsy Ruth Griffith passed away July 17, 2020, with her daughter Jennifer by her side. Pat was born to Ruby and L.E. Stagg, Jr. in Beaumont, Texas, on February 25, 1933. She grew up in Amelia, Texas, just outside Beaumont, surrounded by extended family. Pat graduated from Texas State College for Women (now Texas Woman's University) at the age of twenty with a Bachelor of Arts in Advertising Design. She married Earl Griffith the same year after his discharge from the army. They lived in the Dallas/Fort Worth area where Pat worked for a newspaper until their first child was born. In 1959, they settled in San Antonio where Pat focused on rearing their two sons and two daughters. Pat loved San Antonio and chose to spend the rest of her life there.

An intensely creative person, Pat was a talented watercolorist. She studied with local painters Ivan McDougal and Eva Templeton and painted beautiful portraits and landscapes. She traveled to Ireland with the San Antonio Watercolor Gang where she painted the incredible scenes and shot photographs that were used by other artists as inspiration.

Pat also studied ceramics at the Southwest School of Art and created many unusual pottery pieces on her home potter's wheel.

A life-long gardener, Pat's garden was filled with lush plants grown from cuttings from her great-grandmothers' gardens, along with many plants shared by friends. She served several terms as president of the San Antonio Garden Center and was accredited by the San Antonio Judge's Council of the Garden Club of America. Pat was known for her unique, award-winning floral designs and traveled throughout Texas judging flower shows.

Pat's skills as a seamstress were honed during her childhood in the country. Always wanting something unique, she could see a dress in a magazine and recreate it, customizing it for herself. She made many of her children's clothes and costumes as well as designing and sewing her own and both of her daughters' exquisite wedding dresses.

Pat was preceded in death by her parents, husband Earl Griffith, sons Earl Griffith, Jr. and Jonathan Griffith, sister Sue Seymour, niece Sheryl Seymour, and nephew Timothy Seymour.

She is survived by her children Gregory Griffith, Lauren Griffith Kent and husband Thomas Kent, MD, and Jennifer Griffith and husband John Campbell; her grandchildren Devon Rutherford and husband Aaron Roberts, MD, Claire Garcia and husband Carlos Rodriguez, and Tucker Garcia; her great-grandson Nathan Roberts; her brother Louis Stagg; many nieces, nephews, step-grandchildren and step-great grandchildren; and her dear friends in The Birthday Bunch.

Pat's family would like to especially thank Fernando Fernandez for his friendship and gardening collaboration, 10 year-old Ricky Rodriguez for the competition-level Scrabble games, and Dana Smith and Marie Garza for the love and care during the last years of her life.

A memorial service celebrating Pat's life will be planned when the coronavirus pandemic subsides. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the San Antonio Garden Center, Inc., 3310 N. New Braunfels, San Antonio, TX 78209.