Arlene Griffin

Arlene Serbanewicz Griffin, 87, devoted wife and homemaker, passed away on Friday, December 24.

Arlene, the oldest of four girls, was born to Rose (Janiec) and Anthony Serbanewicz on November 2, 1934 in Richfield Springs, N.Y. She was predeceased in 2017 by her husband of ­­­­­­­­­­­­60 years, Arthur G. Griffin, Jr.

She graduated from West Winfield High School in 1952. Arlene loved music—she was a talented pianist and accompanied the high school musicals. She then attended Central City Business Institute in Syracuse, N.Y., after which she took a position as a stenographer with the General Electric Co. in New Hartford, N.Y. While working in the personnel office at G.E. she met a young engineer, Arthur Griffin, Jr. She and Art were married on December 29, 1956 at St. George’s Episcopal Church, Utica, N.Y. In 1957 she and Art moved to Cocoa Beach, Fla., where Art was employed—first at G.E., and afterward in the fledgling U.S. space program at NASA’s Cape Canaveral complex.

Arlene and Art were active in the Episcopal Church for nearly 50 years in the Melbourne, Fla., area, and were founding members of Hope Episcopal Church, Viera, Fla. She enjoyed scrapbooking and card stamping and assisting her husband in his various antique auto club roles. Arlene and Art were longtime, active members of the Antique Auto Club of America, the Kaiser-Frazer Owners Club, and the Space Coast Mustang Club and traveled the U.S. as they attended car shows or visited family. In 2018 Arlene moved to Grand Rapids to be near her children, where she resided at Covenant Living of the Great Lakes Retirement Community until her passing. For all who were lucky enough to know Arlene, they knew her to be a kind and generous woman who always thought of others.

She is survived by her three children, Barbara Griffin (husband Clay Stauffer), Holland, Mich., Robin Gichuhi (husband Tony), St. Charles, Mo., Arthur G. Griffin, III, (wife Debbie) Grandville, Mich.; three sisters, Geri Petroff (husband Tom), Cape Vincent, N.Y., Phyllis Lippitt (husband Greg), Cooperstown, N.Y., Lucille Miller, Cape Canaveral, Fla.; seven grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

The Celebration of Life will be on January 8th at 11:00 a.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 134 N. Division St., Grand Rapids Mich. 49503 with a luncheon to follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to St. Mark’s or Faith Hospice, 2100 Raybrook St. SE #300, Grand Rapids 49546.