Marilyn Louise Griffin

Marilyn T. Griffin: Marilyn passed away peacefully in her sleep after a short stay in the Naples Community Hospital on December 21, 2020 after passing the day with her two children. Having spent the Winters in Marco Island since 1997, Marilyn relocated to North Naples year-round in August of 2019 upon selling her home of 46 years in Wilmington, DE.

Marilyn was born on January 29, 1931 to George and Elizabeth Teeple in Fostoria, Ohio where she was proudly one of 38 students that graduated from St. Wendelin High School in 1949. In an effort to have a more urban life she relocated to Dayton, Ohio where she worked for the Wright Patterson Air Force base. In Dayton, she met a Penn State mechanical engineer named William Griffin and they wed in Fostoria, Ohio in 1955. Shortly after marrying, Bill and Marilyn were transferred to Haddonfield, NJ and eventually to Baltimore, MD with Bill’s company. In Baltimore, Marilyn gave birth to her son and daughter. After 7 years in Baltimore and 2 years in Cherry Hill, NJ, Marilyn and Bill moved to Wilmington, DE where they resided for 50 years.

Through every relocation, Marilyn immediately sought about finding a group of couples with whom to play bridge and left very good friends in each locale. In Wilmington, she began working for the Bank of Delaware and then decided to get her license and sold real estate throughout the mid to late 1970’s. Marilyn decided to return to banking in the early 1980’s and retired from the Bank of Delaware (PNC) in 1993 having managed the branch in Greenville, DE for many years. She shared a warm relationship with all of her clients. Her husband William passed away in 2001 and Marilyn has been widowed for 20 years.

Having lived in Wilmington for most of her adult life, Marilyn had many friends from all walks of life. People that knew Marilyn would describe her as having true joie de vivre, who found humor and enjoyment in any possible situation. She had a wonderful laugh and caused everyone around her to join her. She was a good cook and loved entertaining and trying any new recipe well into her 80’s. She continued to dabble in recreational bridge games with friends and old neighbors. During her Winters in Marco Island, she became addicted to Water Aerobics and practiced it almost-daily. She belonged to the Hockessin Athletic Club for many years where she leaves a group of great friends whom she missed terribly after relocating to Naples year-round. Marilyn was a longtime member of St. Mary’s Church in Hockessin and recently belonged to St. John the Evangelist in Naples.

She is survived by her son David Griffin, daughter-in-law Celeste and her two grandchildren Ryan and Thomas Griffin in Basking Ridge, NJ and her daughter Susan Griffin in Naples, FL. She has many nieces and nephews scattered about the country and will leave a large absence in everyone’s life. Memorial service plans will be announced in both Naples and Wilmington, pending the status of the pandemic.