Adrienne Joy Griffaw

Adrienne Joy Griffaw (nee Vaughan) passed away on December 23, 2025, at Mercy New Life Hospice following a sudden illness. Born on November 25, 1939, in Norwalk, Ohio, Joy was a lifelong resident of Vermilion and a deeply rooted member of the community she loved.

Joy was preceded in death by her parents, Guy G. Vaughan and Myrtle C. Vaughan (nee Dalzell); her siblings, Beverley June Jones (nee Vaughan) and Denny Roland Vaughan; and her sons, Donald Scott “Scotty” Griffaw and Terrance Lyn Griffaw.

She is survived by her beloved husband of 67 years, Donald H. Griffaw of Vermilion. Joy and Don met at a young age and were married in 1958 in Sandusky, Ohio. When Don began working at the Ford Motor Company in Lorain, he moved his growing family to Vermilion, where they built a life filled with love, laughter, and community.

Together, Joy and Don raised six children: son Donald Scott “Scotty”; twins Guy “Gary” and Terry; their “rose between the thorns,” daughter Julie Dee; followed by sons Donald “Donny” and Michael “Shayne.” Their home at Sweetbriar Drive became the heart of a bustling, welcoming household and the foundation of countless cherished memories.

Joy’s love for family extended well beyond her own children to the many neighborhood children who passed through her doors. She was a founding member of the Sweetbriar Drive Moms Club and remained a constant presence in the lives of her children’s friends for more than 60 years. She was a devoted aunt, great-aunt, grandmother to 13 grandchildren, and great-grandmother to 14, each of whom held a special place in her heart.

Creatively gifted, Joy was a talented painter, widely admired for her hand-painted Christmas cards. She also wrote poetry and was an avid fan of trivia and word puzzles, faithfully completing the daily crossword puzzle—always with a pen.

Joy gave back generously to the Vermilion community. She volunteered as a judge during local elections and wrote a column for the Vermilion Photo Journal for several years. She was a member of the Anglican Church of St. Andrew and Madeleine Chapter #204, Order of the Eastern Star, serving as Worthy Matron in 1976.

Known affectionately as “The General,” Joy earned the title after four of her sons served with the U.S. Army Rangers. In 1980, she traveled to Fort Benning, Georgia, to pin the Ranger tab on her son Guy. In true Ranger fashion, the instructors played a prank, telling the young private that his battalion commander had flown in to see him personally. Alarmed, he snapped to attention, entered the commander’s office—and saluted his mother. From that day forward, Joy was permanently promoted to “The General.”

Joy leaves behind a lasting legacy of love, friendship, service, and family. She will be profoundly missed by all who knew her.

A celebration of Joy’s life will be announced this spring.

Online condolences may be made at www.riddlefuneralhome.com