AUGUSTA – Maryann W. Griffin, 63, of Augusta, died suddenly and unexpectedly from complications of minor surgery, Sept. 28, 2022. Maryann, born May 5, 1959, was the beloved daughter of Beverley “Chubby” (Glencross) and the late Richard “Brownie” Griffin of Peabody, Mass. and Naples, Maine.

Maryann lived life to the fullest, and lived a life of adventure. She worked at ski resorts in California and cruise ships in the Hawaiian Islands. She worked as a welder for Dick, the Welder and pursued her license in the Merchant Marine. When Maryann moved to the family Lodge in Naples, Maine, she began a long career working in the Maine State Parks Service, running the Songo Locks for many years and working at Sebago Lake State Park, Two Lights State Park and Crescent Beach. She loved the outdoors and was a fierce protector of the environment. She earned two college degrees, including a degree in Geoscience from University of Southern Maine in 2008. Maryann worked for the Maine Department of Environmental Protection in Augusta as a Geology Technician. She and her friends and co-workers were called “the ATeam”. She was a proud union member of the Maine State Employees Association, Scott Austin Eastside Chapter, where she served as a Steward, a Chapter Delegate, Chapter President and a member of the MSEA Board of Directors. Maryann attended the Keefe Elementary School, Higgins Junior High School, and was a proud graduate of Essex Agricultural High School Class of 1977.

Maryann loved animals and was always caring for rescue cats and dogs, birds, and even mice and skunks (yes, if you knew Maryann you know this is true!). She was an artistic and creative person. She loved the holidays, especially Halloween and made incredible costumes for herself and friends and her parties were legendary. She made hundreds of Christmas cookies each year for her family and friends, and two years ago when Covid prevented the annual Christmas celebration at home, Maryann put 400 miles on her Jeep delivering Christmas cookies throughout Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont to the surprise and delight of her siblings and nieces and nephews. She sewed hundreds of masks for family and coworkers for their use during the pandemic. She was renovating her house and she single-handedly built a pergola for her patio. She was a wonderful gardener and shared her beautiful flowers with family and friends.

Maryann was an independent woman and an inspiration to her family, especially to her nieces and nephews. In their words: She set out to do things – and she did them. She was generous with her talents and extremely thoughtful. Her sense of humor, her spontaneity, her strength were all contagious. Her adventures were amazing. Aunty Mare was the coolest aunt. She loved endlessly and fought for what she believed, and she was an incredible person.

Maryann leaves behind her heartbroken mother, Beverley; her sisters and brothers and their spouses, Beverley Griffin and her husband Robert Dunne of Peabody, Richard Griffin Jr. of Naples, Maone, Patricia and her husband Steven Zalewski of Peabody, Michael Griffin and his wife Jana Murphy of Middleton. Aunty Mare leaves her beloved nieces and nephews Brian Dunne, Maureen Dunne and her husband Demetri Tsonis, MaryCatherine Dunne, Sarah Dunne Kozik and her husband Jeremy Kozik, niece and Godchild Cheyenne Zalewski, Thomas Zalewski, and Nora Griffin. She leaves dear friends Thomas Folsom, Karol Carlsson, Kathy Beecher, Leslie Shruhan, Clare Campbell and Bill and Melissa Post van der Burg who immortalized Maryann in her beautiful paintings, and her dear co-workers Janet Gorman and Molly King. She leaves her aunts and uncles, Jean and Peter Matvichuk and Dorothy and Robert Peach and numerous cousins and life-long friends and coworkers from Peabody and Maine and all over the country. She also leaves behind her cat Domino and her much loved little dog, Brodie.

Funeral Arrangements: Visitation will be held on Saturday Oct. 8, 2022 from 9-11 a.m. at Solimine Funeral Home, 426 Broadway, Lynn, Mass., followed by a funeral service at 11 a.m. in the funeral home. Burial to follow at Cedar Grove Cemetery, Peabody. A Celebration of Life will take place in Maine at a later date.

Online guestbook at http://www.Solimine.com.

In memory of Maryann, donations can be made to:

The Jimmy Fund, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brookline, MA.

And in Maryann’s memory live your best life possible – as an adventure

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