Denise Irene Griffin, 64; 'Endlessly Generous Human Being'

Denise Irene Griffin (nee Buchanan), a longtime resident of Columbia, died Saturday, July 18, peacefully in her home.

Born in Washington, DC, in 1951 to the late Eileen and Charles Buchanan, Denise attended Towson University and earned her degree in General Studies from Howard Community College, where she was also a valued team member at the Learning Assistance Center for over 19 years.

Denise was a loving and endlessly generous human being who possessed a physical toughness admired by those who knew her. A fervent animal lover, she enjoyed the simple pleasures of a nice conversation, lunch on a bench at Centennial Park, and a snowball on a summer day. She wanted to be remembered for her caring, sharing and love of nature.

She is survived by her three children: Allison, Daniel and Eileen Griffin; her siblings Dennis Buchanan (twin), Charles “Skip” Buchanan (Christine), Jim Buchanan (Lori) and Jean Swann (Tony); as well as a host of nieces and nephews, extended family, friends and her dog Murphy.

Funeral services will be private, but friends and acquaintances are welcome at an informal reception on Saturday, July 25. Family members are also assembling a memorial collection of everyone’s favorite memories of Denise. Please contact denisegriffinmemorial@gmail.com for information about the reception or to add your memories of her to the collection for her family. Memorial gifts may be made to the Maryland SPCA.