Mrs. Jean E. (Puleo) Griffin

UTICA - Mrs. Jean E. (Puleo) Griffin, age 73, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, August 18, 2017 at the Faxton-St. Luke’s Healthcare Center with her loving family by her side. Born in Utica on August 16, 1944, Jean was the daughter of the late Phillip and Josephine (DiOrio) Puleo. She was a graduate of T.R. Proctor High School and continued her education at M.V.C.C. where she majored in Food Service. She was also a licensed Beautician. On September 8, 1968 she married W. James “Jim” Griffin, Jr. with whom she shared 48 years. Although Jean and Jim were opposites, they appreciated each other’s attributes and celebrated their diverse backgrounds. Jim was an educated, religious man and Jean respected his values, which made for a harmonious relationship. Jean was employed by the Bank of New York, a fulfilling job and a source of friendships that enriched her life. But her highest calling in life was carried out in her home where she raised her family. She nurtured the needs of her loved ones, and they were the focus of her life. She held strong to values that were important to live by and pass along to her children including caring, compassion, forgiveness, and generosity. Jean had a passion and pride in preparing and cooking classic Italian cuisine. She carried on many of her ethnic traditions while transforming them to the needs of her family. She also knew the art of knitting and crocheting, an avocation she acquired from her mom. As a matriarch, she was beloved for her domestic devotion to making her home comfortable, accommodating, and efficient. She decorated it in her own style with a little help from QVC and the Home Shopping Network. She was one of four members left in her Red Hat Society, a social outlet that connected contemporaries who embraced a renewed outlook on life with fun and friendship. Jean was a true believer in her Catholic creed. Her home provided her with peace, and her Lord blessed it with love. Jean is survived by her husband, Jim; her sons, Steven James Griffin, and Glenn Matthew Griffin; her grandson, Blake Sterling Griffin and his mother, Danielle Washburn; and her siblings and their spouses, Phillip and Sharon Puleo, Michael and Linda Puleo, and twin sisters, Anita and James McNichol, and Annette and Evan Lewis. She also leaves her nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles, sister-in-law, Gail (Czarnocki) Santacroce; and her beloved friend, Janet Chambrone who blessed her life since childhood. The family is grateful to the personnel of the Utica Fire Department/Rescue #1 for their timely response and efforts, and the staff at the Faxton-St. Luke’s Healthcare Center who were so kind and responsive to the needs of Jean and her family. Family and friends are respectfully invited to attend Jean’s funeral service and Celebration of Life which will commence on Wednesday at 12:00 noon at the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes where her Mass of Christian Burial will be offered by Rev. Joseph Salerno. The family will receive visitors at the conclusion of Mass. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to express an act of kindness may make a donation to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital online at https://www.stjude.org or Mother Marianne's West Side Kitchen online at http://www.westsidekitchen.org; envelopes will be available at the service. Entombment will take place in Christ Our Savior Mausoleum in Calvary Cemetery.

Mrs. Jean E. (Puleo) Griffin

August 16, 1944 - August 18, 2017