Martha Darlene Griffith who loved her family, her friends, good coffee, gazing at trees and the occasional visit to the Casino passed away quite suddenly on Saturday, November 30 in Winston Salem, North Carolina. At the time, she was visiting her youngest daughter Rene. Martha was born on a cold winter day on December 24, 1934 in Charleston, West Virginia to Delcie Marie Shaffer and Gerald Pickering. Martha also had a younger brother Wayne who she adored as well as a sister, Marsha Eastman Wilson, John Eastman and Mark Eastman.
Martha was athletic as a young girl and into her teens, playing softball and later being a majorette at Charleston High School. She was a fantastic dancer and loved to hit the dance floor whenever she had the chance.
Although Martha did not go to college, she had an intuitive brilliance about her. Martha could figure anything out with very little information given to her. She was adventurous and in her late thirties, she obtained her pilots license. She was a great cook and could open a cupboard and make a delicious meal out of anything. She turned her nose up to measuring cups preferring to use a simple taste test.
Martha met Boyce Griffith, her deceased husband (April 6, 2017), on a blind date in 1955. As the story goes, when Boyce came walking up to the front porch, Martha ran upstairs and told her Mother she thought her blind date was “too short”. Her mother encouraged her to take a chance and the rest they say is history.
Although, Martha did not hold a paid leadership position within a company as she made the choice early on to choose a homemaker role while her two daughters were growing up, she was a true leader. Later in life, she served as a volunteer Appointed Board President to Country Club Towers Condominium Association for over 25 years. Her leadership skills shined bright. Martha made decisions quickly and made course corrections later (the mark of a great leader) and she believed that you should never put off to tomorrow what you could get done today and get it done by noon.
From the sunny skies of Southern California to the sandy shores of South Florida, when people heard of her passing, the heartfelt comments were always the same: “Martha was a lovely woman and I always enjoyed my time with her.” People gravitated to Martha and she was someone that many called “a best friend”.
Martha is survived by her daughters, Joy Chudacoff and Rene Griffith. Joy lives in Los Angeles, California with her husband Greg and their two children, Jack (19) Jenna (17). Rene lives in Winston Salem, North Carolina with her life partner, Christi Smith and son Andrew. A graveside service will be held on Saturday, December 7 at 1pm at Forks of Coal Baptist Church Cemetery in Alum Creek.
I am so sorry to learn of Marth’s passing. Condolences to the family. I’ve been thinking of Marth multiple times recently and intended to send a Christmas card. It has been a highlight of my life knowing Boyce and Martha. Matha always seemed a very kind person and obviously was very intelligent. I had intended to Email Joy to check up on her but misplaced Joy’s card. I regret being unable to come on the 7th as I will be in Morgantown with my daughter, Caroline, who is attending WVU. The family will be in my thoughts and prayers.