Dana (Geiski) Florence Griffin

88 of Phoenix, Az entered into this world on October 25, 1925 in Tyler Texas where the temperature ranged from a high of 67 degrees to a low of 53 degrees. Her parents James Arthur Rushing and Florine Leggett Rushing, as well as, her brother James (Jay) Arthur Rushing were thrilled to add her to the family.

From an early age Dana was a force to be reckoned with, growing up on a farm in the community of Kingston Texas where she was always busy. When she was 8 her dear father passed from complications of TB. At the age of 18 she moved from the community of Kingston to Dallas where she began her adult life. Living in a rooming house she found a job working as a cashier at Safeway. Before finding a new calling as a waitress at a restaurant, Webb’s Coffee Shops, she met her first husband. They had a son in 1947. As happens in life, that marriage ended. A few years later she met and married Hardy G Griffin. They moved to Phoenix in 1953 where they were co-owners of Mag’s Ham Bun with Mag Magness, located at the corner of Central and Indian School Road. Later Hardy and Dana opened Hardy’s Ham House in Glendale, which sat on the corner at 51st Ave and Glendale Ave. Dana worked at several other restaurants after they closed the Ham House location, the last of which was Sun City Country Club where she worked for about 28 years. After she retired from SCCC she worked for several of the elderly ladies who had been members of “The Club” doing light house work and running errands. She enjoyed being of service to everyone she met.

Her biggest joys in life, however, was her son Robert (Rob) and grandchildren, David S. Griffin and his wife Meredith Hale-Griffin as well as, L Jeremy Armstrong. Dana loved to garden and do crafts her entire life. When her health began to fail she was no longer able to work in the garden, but she still loved to sit on the porch and do her crossword puzzles while soaking in the sounds of the birds tweeting and the feel of the sun on her face.

Dana was preceded in death by her parents, brother, husband and grandson, L Jeremy Armstrong. She leaves behind her beloved son Robert (Gloria); grandson, David (Meredith); her dog Maggie Mae; her friend Mary Lou Moore; and honorary grandson, Daniel Davidson. She left this world after many years of fighting the effects of Asthma and COPD. She is not fighting to catch her breath anymore. Dana closed her smiling eyes at home on February 22, 2014 surrounded by those who loved her. She will be missed by many who will remember her for a ready laugh and quick smile. The temperature was a cool 53 degrees when she went home. You can rest now Geiski.

A committal service will be held on Monday, March 10, 2014 at 1:00pm at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, 23029 N. Cave Creek Rd, Phoenix, Az.

Family requests, in lieu of flowers, please send donations to Hospice of the Valley (Ryan’s House), 1510 E. Flower St, Phoenix, Az 85014.