Beloved husband of the late Ann T. Griffin, loving brother of Maureen Griffin and John Griffin, brother-in-law of the late Joan Griffin and Alice Quinn, dear adopted father of Sean Gannon, and cherished companion of Carmella Dolfi.
Arthur was born on December 6, 1941 to Elizabeth & John Griffin. He attended St. Mary’s Winfield Catholic School in Woodside, N.Y. and then graduated from Bishop Loughlin HS. He entered into the Christian Brothers, but later left to obtain his Masters Degree from Manhattan College and Fordham University.
Art worked as a teacher at Christ the King Regional HS in Middle Village, NY. After leaving, he worked at the Joseph P. Kennedy home, where he and his wife, Ann, helped find many working positions for children who lived there. He worked for many years as a counselor for Catholic Charities, helping people with addictions, homelessness and offering assistance to those in need.
Art was ordained a Catholic Deacon and was assigned to Transfiguration Church in Maspeth, N.Y. There, he helped form “Project HOPE” – an acronym for Help Our People Eat. Here, he organized a great group of men and women to make sandwiches and deliver food to people on the streets of Maspeth, Elmhurst and Woodside. He was able to get community groups and businesses to contribute to the project. In his words, he was fulfilling Christ’s orders – “feed my people, take care of the poor.”
Art was a proud member of the County Tyrone Society, marching in every St. Patrick’s Day Parade along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan from age 5 through 77. All of the neighbors on 66th Street could hear him practicing his fife the week before the 17th of March each year.
He loved life, God and sports. He ran the NYC Marathon in his early days, continued to play softball with the over-70 group in Nassau County, and still bowled weekly with Catholic Charities. He leaves behind a loving family and friends, extending from the US to England. Ireland and Spain.
Mass of Christian Burial offered at Transfiguration Church on Monday, July 19, 2021 at 9:30 AM. Interment followed at St. Andrew’s Cemetery, Sag Harbor, NY under the direction of Papavero Funeral Home, 72-27 Grand Avenue, Maspeth, NY 11378.
