Dr. Marie Griffiths

1937 - 2023

Dr. Marie Griffiths

1937-2023

Salt Lake City. UT-Marie Griffiths was a unique, glass-ceiling breaking scientist, trained pianist, and world traveler. She was born October 5th, 1937, to Roy and Lillian Jay Manning, their only child and raised in Smyrna, Georgia to be strong and independent.

Marie studied music with plans to be a concert pianist and maintained her love of music throughout her life as an avid Utah Symphony supporter. She ultimately changed course and chose to be a scientist. She went on to graduate with a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Georgia and completed post-doctoral work at Tulane University. Her professor had arranged a spot at Harvard but being a good southern girl, she couldn't imagine studying with the Yankees and politely declined.

While at Tulane she met her future husband, Robert Griffiths, on a blind date where he recited poetry and won her over, a large feat for a Utah boy that grew up milking cows. The result was a move to Utah, two daughters, a career, and friendships that spanned the years. Along the way they spent a few years in El Paso, Texas where she learned to ride motorcycles in the desert and fell in love with the wild open land.

Marie joined the University of Utah faculty as a Professor of Medicine and a Principal Investigator at the VA Medical Center, establishing and running a lab where she and her team did groundbreaking and world renown work in the genetics of Rheumatoid Arthritis. She published countless papers, wrote multiple book chapters, routinely presented at national and international conferences, and sat on the University of Utah ethics review committee. Her work established the collagen-induced arthritis model as a standard which is still used today. When she retired, her work and love of discovery was continued by the NIH to help drive new solutions for people with Arthritis.

After her retirement, Marie shifted her love of discovery to travel. She was fascinated with far-flung places like Antarctica, the Russian Arctic, the Southern Seas, and anyplace wild and free. She travelled so much her daughters would lose track of her whereabouts and had to trust she'd call when she returned, not really knowing when that would be.

She was honored to be a member of the Alta Club and the Town Club, enjoying bridge with groups that chose names such as the "The Nasties" and the "Five Fools". They clearly had no fun at all.

Marie loved her children, dogs, knowledge, friends, travelling and her garden, in no particular order. Her backyard is still a small oasis in the city filled with perennials constantly blooming throughout the season. She is survived by her two daughters, Jennifer and Marcia, and her dog Dusky.

Please join us in a Celebration of Life held at the Alta Club on Friday, July 28th, 4-6pm.