Barbara Leah Griffith

Barb was born March 20, 1955 in Manchester, Iowa. Barb loved growing up in the small town of Manchester saying it was the perfect place to be a kid. She graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa in 1977 with a degree in Art. Following her mother and grandmother’s footsteps, Barb became a third generation teacher. She started her long career teaching art in Nora Springs, IA for two years. Barb also worked as a potter and loved the process of creating pottery from clay. Then she heard the call of John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High” and moved to Colorado. There Barb worked as an Art Director at a summer camp in Durango, and later that fall she secured an art position in Loveland. During that year, Barb met the love of her life and married Bill Griffith in 1981. Bill’s job took them to the Western Slope where Barb taught art in several schools, and their daughter, Brittany Paige, was born.

In 1985 the family moved to Fort Collins and their son, Cale Jenner, was born in 1987. Barbara taught art at Irish and Johnson Elementary and 5th grade at Johnson for several years. Barb could not stay away from her art roots and went back to Boltz Jr. High where she taught art until she retired in 2012. Barb spent 34 years teaching children to see the world through the eyes of an artist and loved every minute doing it. The schools where Mrs. Griffith worked were lucky because her students' work were displayed as if the halls were an art gallery. She always had a smile at school and impacted so many kiddos’ lives through her true gift of teaching and dedication to advocating for educating the whole child.

Art was in Barb’s blood whether it was working with students, art projects with her own children, or special “Ahbee” art days with her grandchildren. She loved an adventure, working in her flower garden, scrapbooking (always with a special art twist), reading a good book, quilting, and most of all, being with her family. Family time was a priority for Barb, and her home was a welcoming place for family holidays, especially Christmas. She was a loving wife and wonderful mother who was so proud of her children and grandkids. Barb will be remembered as a positive, kind, compassionate, generous, and fun woman with a creative flare for life!

Barb is survived by her husband Bill, two children Brittany Albrecht (Bob) and Cale Griffith (Morgan) and four grandchildren Owen Albrecht, Emerson Albrecht, Sophie Griffith and Sadie Griffith, and her brother Gene Parker from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

A Celebration of Life was held in Barb's honor on Saturday, August 21, 2021 at Resthaven Funeral Home in Fort Collins. Thank you to all those who were able to attend and share in the laughter and the memories.

In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to Pathways Hospice.