James P.S. Griffith, Jr.

James Peyton Standifer Griffith, Jr., was born at St. Mary’s Hospital in Galveston, Texas on the 29th of April, 1948. On Thursday, the 23rd of November 2023, “Jamie” as he was known to everyone, passed away at home after a very long battle with cancer.

He attended St. John’s School, The Choate School, and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville where he obtained a degree in Economics. He was a member of the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity and served as Vice President his senior year. Following his graduation, Jamie spent the next two years traveling with some of his buddies including Roger Wallace and his brother, Wilson Griffith.

Upon his return to Houston, he took a job as a teacher at The Chinquapin Preparatory School. He fully enjoyed being a teacher and often told stories about his experiences with the students. He would later serve on the school’s board of trustees as president.

In 1976 he graduated from South Texas School of Law. Jamie spent his adult life working for his family’s real estate interests which primarily included the development of Houston Southwest Airport. He was also a member of the Explorer’s Club and a founding member of the Texas Alpine Society.

Jamie was born into a family of adventurous travelers. They enjoyed sharing their trips with others by having slide shows in the basement of their home on Del Monte Drive. In 1970 at the age of 22 he flew to Japan where he spent three weeks and even went to Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. On this same trip he visited Hong Kong, Bangkok, Chaing Mai, Rangoon, Calcutta, Kathmandu, Delhi, and Srinagar. The trip concluded in Bombay.

The following year he rented a home in Verbier but when the snow melted that spring, he and several others, drove a Volkswagen across Northern Africa. The trip included a short stay in Morrocco and continued on to Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. Unable to cross the Libyan-Egyptian border they flew into Cairo. From Cairo they visited Beirut, Cyprus, and Jerusalem. Somehow time was found to visit both Syria and Turkey as well.

It was very important to Jamie to pass along his incredible sense of adventure to his family and luckily for him, they were always happy to jump on board. The girls were not even ten when the family went to South America for a month. The trip began with several days on an open aired tug boat up the Amazon and ended in Bolivia on one of the most dangerous roads in the world!

Jamie was a member of The Bayou Club of Houston as well as Allegro. He played many a game of tennis at the Bayou Club and even won the very first croquet tournament. He was an early member of Hasselmann’s Bay Club where he enjoyed shooting ducks with his pals and favorite bird dog, Mocha.

He was raised going to Aspen on the train from Houston to Glenwood Springs. His love for the mountains remained with him all of his life. He enjoyed planning and leading hiking trips and in 1986 he and a group of close friends climbed Mt. Denali. Later he would take his own family to Aspen where his daughters learned to ski and developed their own love for the outside and mountains.

Maine also became part of his family life when the girls were quite young. Not so long ago Jamie and Margaret purchased a home on Little Cranberry Island where everyone gathers each summer. His time spent with Amelia and Tucker on the island were some of his best.

Truthfully, Jamie was most happy back in Texas at the family ranch in Brazoria County. Willow Glen was purchased by his grandfather and was important to Jamie his entire life. He worked diligently to enlarge and conserve the property. He was forever planting new trees when the rest of us thought there were more than enough. The ranch made Jamie who he ultimately became.

He was the most sincere man who loved nature, animals, fishing, and hunting. Known for his love of food, he spent many an hour preparing incredible meals. And to top it all, he was a marvelous conversationalist when he wished to be.

Jamie was preceded in death by his parents James Peyton Standifer Griffith and Fay Wilson Griffith; and his brother, Richard Griffith. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Margaret Hixon Griffith; his daughters, Mary Frances Szoradi and her husband Stephen, Elizabeth Griffith Lashar and her husband Garrett; and grandchildren Amelia Szoradi and Tucker Szoradi. He is also survived by his sister, Mary Wallace and her husband Roger; their children, Fay Wallace, Peyton Wallace and his wife Dominique, and Windham Wallace; his brother, Wilson Griffith and his wife Patricia; their children, Wilson Griffith II; and daughter, Tye Leon and her husband Santiago.

The family will be forever grateful for the help Jamie received from his caregivers as well as Houston Hospice.

A memorial service is to be conducted at three o’clock in the afternoon on Monday, the 11th of December, in The Church of St. John the Divine, 2450 River Oaks Boulevard in Houston, where the Rev. Neal McGowan is to officiate.

Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception at a venue to be announced during the service.

Prior to the service, the family will gather for a private inurnment at Glenwood Cemetery in Houston.

In lieu of customary remembrances the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions in memory of Jamie Griffith be directed to the Texas Land Conservancy www.texaslandconservancy.org or Chinquapin Preparatory School www.chinquapin.org