GRIFFIN, Eunice Ardeth
Eunice Ardeth Griffin (nee Small)
1930-2025
Eunice passed away peacefully on May 13th 2025, at the age of 95 at St. Peter’s Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario. Eunice was an exceptional woman who lived a life filled with family, friends, and service but her life began in difficult circumstances. Eunice was born in 1930 on her parents homestead near Boulter Ontario. Six months later her mother Margaret Small (nee McLean) took ill and died, and because her father, Robert (Bob) Small, made his living as a hunting guide and logger Eunice, her sister Edith and brothers Roland and Harold had to be separated and cared for by extended family. When Eunice was 18 months old she was taken in by relatives of her mother, the Peever family, of Arnprior Ontario. At the age of 15 she was forced to leave the Peever home and found work at Kenwood Mills to support herself. She was grateful to find support and a home with her pastor , the Reverend and Mrs. Brynle Owen until she married three years later. Eunice met her future husband, Jack Griffin of Toronto, after an evening church service and they fell in love immediately. Within a week Jack proposed and Eunice gladly accepted. The couple agreed to Dad Owen’s counsel to wait a year, and they were married in the spring of 1948. Eunice had no greater ambition than to raise and cherish a family of her own, so for the following years they did just that, first in Arnprior, and several years later on the Ottawa River where they built a home and raised their 7 boys in the bucolic surroundings of Shirleys Bay. Throughout their youth the boys fished, swam and boated on the river while continually wandering through the wilds of “The Bay”. Eunice and Jack loved to entertain and always extended their hospitality to a wide range of friends among their many church affiliations and Jack’s scientific collegues from the Shirleys Bay Defence Research Board (DRB) laboratories. The invitation to “have a cup of tea” at the Griffin’s home always included varying levels of laughter, contemplation, spiritual council and engaged discussion. Eunice has been noted throughout her life as a person with an almost endless supply of engaging stories about her life experiences and spiritual discoveries. When she spoke to an individual or a room of people Eunice had the rare gift for weaving a rich and beautiful tapestry that gave each listener joy, comfort and spiritual counsel. Eunice loved God deeply and over her lifetime she initiated and led many Christian ministries and conferences. She was an inspiration and leader to many and was often sought for her wisdom and counsel. Eunice loved adventure and travel. She travelled with Jack in their trusty van all over North America crisscrossing Canada and the States numerous times meeting friends, family and strangers alike, sharing her life and serving the God she loved. Put it this way…. there was never a highway that Eunice didn’t like. After Jack’s retirement their motto seemed to be “Oh.. for the love of the open road and the thrill of automobiles”. When she decided to go she would briefly study the maps, pack up the van and then she and Jack would just hit the road. Even after Jack was diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease (PSP), they drove from their home in Northern BC and toured Mexico. Eunice cared for Jack over the next 20 years and they continued travelling together until his death in 2005. As in life she had a firm belief that true happiness existed not simply in the destination but also within the journey itself. Jack and Eunice had homes for periods of time in Arnprior and Shirleys Bay Ontario, Hazelton BC, Sackville NB, and for a few years in Rae Edzo NWT. Eunice enjoyed her final years sharing her life and experiences with many new friends in her seniors apartment overlooking the beautiful Dundas Valley in Hamilton. We are grateful for the loving and compassionate care she received in her final months from Dr. Soloman, the Nurses, and the staff on the Palliative care team at St Peters Hospital in Hamilton. Eunice was predeceased by the love of her life Jack (2005) after being married for 57 years . She was also predeceased by her sons Patrick(1961) and Michael(2021), her sister Edith and brother Roland. She will be lovingly remembered and greatly missed by her remaining sons Paul (Sharon), Daniel (Margaret), John(Sylvia), Brynle(Faith) and Timothy , as well as her 11 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren, Michael’s wife Linda, Eunice’s brother Harold and her many friends. “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.”(Mathew 11:28), Eunice will be interred beside her husband and son Patrick at St Johns Kanata North Anglican Church cemetery, 325 Sandhill Rd. Kanata Ontario, K2K 2T7 on Friday July 25th, 2025 at 10:00a.m. All are welcome to attend. Eunice faithfully supported the ministry of Teen Challenge for most of her life and we would encourage any donations in her memory be sent to “teenchallenge.ca”.
Our condolences to Eunice’s family for the loss of such a special soul.
We only met Eunice a couple times but we immediately felt like we were good friends. She just had that way about her.
We had an unexpected 20 hr layover in Halifax on a flight from Victoria to Europe, due to weather and missed flights. Tim contacted his mother Eunice and she graciously invited us to her house in Sackville to shower, have a nap and make ourselves at home.
We arrived at her doorstep travel worn, after a grueling start to our vacation. She welcomed us in and introduced us to her bible group that she was hosting. She told her friends to carry on without her, as she was taking us for tea to the nearby Marshlands Inn. Bruce had a connection with the Inn, as he had visited when he was a child in the 70’s on a family road trip. We were thrilled.
Eunice, with a sparkle in her eyes, was full of wonderful stories. She was also knowledgeable about the history of the surrounding area.
Life takes many detours and we were so fortunate our detour took us to Eunice. We will always remember her kindness, she was the angel we needed. We’re sure she has some of the prettiest wings in heaven!
Thanks so much for your memories and comforting thoughts.
Dear Dan & family,
What an exceptional privilege to have known your loving mother over the years.
Thanks to all of you for sharing her with us.
Her genuine smile, her clear and honest laugh from the heart made her a magnet. We could not get enough of her. All her stories were true. They kept us searching for the key to her closeness with God.
You, her children, were so loved and cherished, more than you will ever know. Few people have had this privilege.
Thanks for your memories and encouragement. We were fortunate and continue to be grateful for our mom.
Love from Cathy Austin
Thanks for the memories and the smiles🥰
I just learned of the passing of my Eunice. I’m so sorry for your loss. I have many memories of laughter and serious talks with her that I’ll always cherish. My thoughts and prayers are with you all. Hugs from Susan Estabrooks xoxo
Thanks.. we’ll remember all your help and the laughter:)
Eunice is one of the most interesting ‘larger than life’ people I’ve ever known! She is such an absolute special person in so many ways.
I had the pleasure of first meeting her and her awesome family at a very young age of 7 or 8 years old something like that. She just seemed to have a way of making everyone feel welcome and comfortable when we visited her home on many occasions with the church and otherwise.
She especially always made me feel valued and oddly safe in a way, like you knew if something was wrong she’d just pray it away 🙏❤️she had such incredible faith and clearly lived life trusting the Lord in her everyday.
Even as a young girl while talking with me sharing her faith with me and asking me questions about myself like it really mattered to her what I thought ! …this made such an impression on me. Watching her live out her relationship with Jesus and experiencing her ways first hand really helped me to become introspective and build up my own beliefs in God. She had a unique sensitivity in her spirit that I believe God gifted her with (among many other gifts)to help reach others for the gospel.
I was fortunate to be able to keep in touch with her over the years meeting up whenever she’d come back to Ottawa and bless us with her presence as she and my mother Ruth Austin were lifelong best friends.
Many of my memories growing up were listening to my mom spend literally!! hours either on the other end of a phone call with Eunice or sitting around the kitchen table soaking up her many stories. She was a true story teller witty ( I’ll never forget those beautiful smiling eyes when she’d say something funny !!) and full of passion to say the least, always full of great ideas and precious Holy Spirit words of wisdom!
I have been so blessed to know Eunice and
we will miss her dearly!
We are however so happy for her now to be in the presence of her saviour that she clearly loved so much! and that she is reunited with her family and loved ones!! I very much look forward to sitting down with her again to hear stories about the ‘going’s on’ in heaven someday❤️
We would like to offer our condolences from Ruth and I to Eunice’s family for your tremendous loss!!We pray peace and guidance over you all in Jesus name!
Love from Cathy Austin
Thanks 🥰😘.
Sharon and Paul
What a wonderful lady and a life well lived.
We can only imagine the great stories and memories you and family can share and enjoy
Hugs
Jeanne and Ric
I love you Nanny! Wishing you happiness always.
Danny, so sorry to hear of your Mom passing away. She was a wonderful Christian and will be missed by all. So fortunate to be with her at the churchs 50 anniversary. God bless you Danny and all your family. Much love from Jim and Candace. 🙏🙏🙏
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Thanks Jim. Blessings!