Dorene K. (Kelly) Griffin

RUTLAND - Dorene K. (Kelly) Griffin, 85, of Rutland, died on Tuesday, September 26, 2017, while traveling in Seattle, Washington. Dorene leaves two sons, Dirk A. Griffin and his wife Tamara of Frederick, Maryland and Glenn A. Griffin and his wife Nicole Johnson of Hartville, Ohio; a daughter, Kelly A. Robinson and her husband Patrick of Rutland; five grandchildren, Joseph J. Eastwood of Woodsboro, Maryland, Thomas A. Eastwood of Attleboro, and Georgia J., Cecilia J., and Noah J. Griffin, of Hartville, Ohio; and one great-granddaughter, Savannah J. Eastwood of Attleboro.  Dorene was born in New Bedford the only child of James and Alice (Sylvia) Kelly and lived there before moving to Rutland in 1954 when she married the late George R. Griffin, who predeceased her in 2007 after 52 years of marriage. Dorene was a 1949 graduate of New Bedford High School and met George while attending Worcester State Teachers College where they fell in love and both received their Bachelor degrees in 1953.  They were married the following spring in May 1954 at St. John the Baptist Church in New Bedford.  Dorene received her B.S. Education and M. Education from Worcester State and had accumulated required credits for a second Masters in mathematics.  She also attended National Science Foundation Institute programs at DePauw and Valparaiso Universities in Indiana.  She started her teaching career in the New Bedford, Holden, and Barre school systems from 1953 to 1958 and in the West Boylston and Shrewsbury school systems from 1959 to 1964.  Dorene then served as an Assistant Professor at Anna Maria College in Paxton from 1967 to 1970.  In September 1970, she assumed her last teaching post as a mathematics teacher at Millbury Junior Senior High School, teaching Grades 7 to 12 from 1970 to 1975, and then teaching Grades 9 to 12 from 1975 until her retirement in 1992.  In addition to teaching in Millbury, she served as the Math Department Chair for many years.  Upon her retirement, Dorene worked in several capacities for Abt Associates of Chicago, and Westat, Inc. in testing services and research pertaining to the field of education.  None of those jobs ever exceeded the enjoyment of her first summer of retirement, which she spent in Skagway, Alaska, working at the Westmark Inn.  There, she fell in love with Alaska and renewed her love of travel, in particular cruising.  She had just returned to the lower 48 from an Alaskan cruise the day before she passed away.  She was scheduled to return from Seattle to Massachusetts on the day of her death.  At one time or another, she had traveled across North America, including all 50 states, Europe, South America, and had cruised to Antarctica as well. Dorene served as an appointed member of the Finance Committee in Rutland, and was an elected member of the Rutland School Committee in the mid and late 1970s.  She was a long-time member of St. Patrick's Church, Rutland, the Massachusetts Teachers Association and a past member of the National Education Association. Relatives and friends are invited to attend memorial calling hours from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Monday, October 9 at Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main Street, Holden. The funeral for Dorene will be held on Tuesday, October 10, from the funeral home with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. at St. Patrick's Church, 290 Main St., Rutland.  Burial will follow in West Rutland Cemetery, Rutland.  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the St. Vincent de Paul Society, c/o St. Patrick's Church, P.O. Box 939, Rutland, MA 01543.  To share a memory of offer online condolences, please visit our "Guest Book"  on this page.