Joan D. Griffith 9/11/01

I have the honor of paying tribute to Joan D. Griffith. Joan worked as an office manager at Fiduciary Trust, she was known as Joan. But with her family and friends in Willingboro, N.J. -- where her pasta improvisations attracted a fan club -- she went by her middle name, Donna. Her husband, Peter, is not positive why, but he has a theory: "She was Joan on the job, I guess, because it sounded more official."

She was the mother of their 16-year-old daughter and a mother to his 24-year-old daughter, raising both girls as her own. "That we were madly in love for 20 years is a tribute to her," he said.

Below are some comments I found on legacy.com from people that loved her and miss her...
including a very touching letter from her daughter. I hope she does not mind that I am posting it her. I am so sorry that you lost your mom. Please know that all Americans will be thinking of your mom and wishing that she were home with you.

Mommy, itz been along time since we last saw each other, and i never realli thought about doing this before but it is 7/10/03 and i just cryed for more than 2hrz straight thinkin about u. I talk about u almost every day like u used to do me. i wear ur J ring on my finger and i have the ring that u bought me for my 16th birthday on too, the one wit my birthstone in it. i never take it off. every one misses you and i write about u often too. i write alot of poems but i dont display them. Mommy if only you where here to help me, sometime, well most of the time i dont know what the hell i am doing with my self, there was still so much you had to teach me. but i guess i will have to learn them on my own. i have a wonderful and very loving boyfriend, and i love him too. i wish you were here to see it. i didnt go to the jr prom because we decided not to go.. i didnt want to go with out u there to see it. i still remember the day u registered me to go to willingboro high and when we where comin out the buildin u raced me to the car and started jumpng up and down yell"we're goin to the prom!!" yea i remember little things like that when it comes to you. i remember almost every thing when it comes to you. i began to realize how much of a good friend you where after the fact, but i did realize it. you never know what u have until it is gone, we'll i realized it way before but i never acted on it. and i wish i had... Joann Kerin Griffith
Joann Griffith,
willingboro, New Jersey
OMG - I was just going through this site and must have bypassed you last year. I heard that another classmate (we all knew him as Green Eye Keith Clark) perished on that dreadful day. Only to see another one - it brings tears all over again. Even though we weren't friends just acquaintances my deepest condolences to you and your family. I know you are an angel looking over your daughter and family.
High School Friend,
Brooklyn, NY

Joan was an inspiring hard working women, who seemed friendly and full of life, she often talked about her daughters and proud she was of them.I was fortunate to have Joan as my boss the last 6 months of her life. Joan always made a special occasion out of her co-workers birthdays, Thank your for the strawberry cheesecake. God Bless Joan and her daughters.