Mary Alice Griffith

Mary Alice (Schutte) Griffith, 79, passed peacefully into the arms of the Lord on February 28, 2018, in Indianapolis, surrounded by her family.  Mary was born November 8, 1938, in Dayton, Ohio, to Philip and Helen (Runyon) Schutte.

When Mary was old enough to work, her Grandpa Runyon got her an after-school job at the Dayton Public Library, where he also worked.  After graduation from Fairview High School in Dayton, Mary went to work as a long-distance operator at Ohio Bell, where she once had the opportunity to place a long-distance call for Bob Hope.

Mary met and married her husband of 33 years, Adam David Griffith.  Together they had three children, all of whom were sweet and well-behaved, and never gave either of them an ounce of trouble.  But seriously, they were pretty good kids that grew into pretty good adults, with the usual child-rearing bumps and hiccups along the way.

Mary and her family moved to Indianapolis in 1970, where Mary worked briefly as a dental assistant in an orthodontist’s practice.  When the luster of sticking her fingers into the mouths of teenagers wore off, Mary decided to go back to the more fulfilling role of housewife and mother.  It wasn’t until her kids were older that she discovered her love for everything equestrian and worked as a trail guide at the Eagle Creek Riding Stables.  It was there that she met Apache, a sweet and gentle Tennessee Walker who Mary would later purchase as her very own.

Mary will be remembered for her love for her children and grandchildren, and for her love of animals.  Mary had many pets throughout her life…dogs, cats, hamsters, turtles…but she was especially fond of her horse Apache.

Mary was also known for her love of singing hymns and Christmas songs and for dancing.  As a child, Mary’s mother enrolled her in every kind of dance class available.  Her father would take her dancing as a little girl, and the two of them would clear the floor with their jitterbug.

Mary is survived by her sons Kevin (Laura) Griffith, and David Griffith; daughter Melissa (Chuck) Siegel; grandchildren Katie (Matt) Kozinski, Sarah Griffith, Jack Griffith, Joshua Moore, and Daniel Moore.  She is also survived by her grand-kittens Gracie and Chi-Chi, grandpups Teddy, Ruthie, Scout, and Pickles, and her great-grandpup Rufus.

In addition to her parents, Mary was preceded in death by her husband Adam David Griffith and step-mother Esther Schutte.

Visitation will be Monday, March 5^th, at Flanner Buchanan – Speedway, at 5:30pm, with the Service to follow at 7:00pm.  In lieu of flowers, donation may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org).