Margaret Jean Griffin

Margaret Jean Griffin, known to many of her friends as Maggie, and to others as Ginger, passed away peacefully on the morning of May 16, 2024, in Bountiful, Utah. She was born in Barstow, California, on February 21, 1938, to Teddie Leroy Griffin and Jessie Viola Robinson. She was raised in Needles, California, where her father was an engineer on the local railroad. Maggie was blessed with loving parents and was the apple of her father’s eye. In later years, Maggie would reflect on her upbringing and credit her father with having the greatest influence on her early development.

When Maggie graduated from high school in Needles, she ventured into the Los Angeles area, working in several local jobs until she was hired as a stenographer for the Los Angeles office of the FBI. With her keen intellect and attention to details, she was promoted to the position of secretary to an FBI supervisor responsible for organized crime investigations in Los Angeles. It was there she first became acquainted with some members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was impressed with their demeanor and standards. One FBI agent, in particular, became her friend and shared many experiences with her about his LDS faith and his family. When he arranged for the missionaries to teach her, she embraced their teachings and was baptized a member of the LDS Church in 1967. That experience changed her life forever. She became a member of an LDS ward in Pasadena where she made many friends and grew in her love for and knowledge of the gospel. Maggie remained in touch with this FBI agent and his family throughout his many transfers, often visiting him and his family in their various locations of assignment. 

Maggie’s talents continued to grow and she accepted a promotion to FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. to become an analyst for the drug enforcement branch. She established residence in nearby Annandale, Virginia, and continued her devotion to the church in LDS wards there. She met a retired member of the U.S. Army and, after he joined the LDS church, was married to him by her Virginia bishop. Two years later he died in an automobile accident and she remained childless for the rest of her life.

Maggie was enthusiastic about education and received a Bachelor’s Degree from UCLA while in Los Angeles and a Master’s Degree in education from the University of Virginia in August 1982. She continued post graduate studies in many different fields and studied the Chinese language while traveling extensively in the Asia area. 

Maggie was promoted several times at FBI headquarters and concluded her 36-year career as an Intelligence Research Specialist in 2001.

While living in Virginia, Maggie received her temple blessings and faithfully attended the Washington, D.C., temple, performing services for her deceased relatives and others. She made many special friends in the church in Virginia, including a serving patriarch and sealer in the Washington, D.C. temple and his wife. As many of these friends began to leave Virginia and migrate west to Utah, Maggie determined to follow them.

Coincidentally, her FBI friend had also retired there with this family and Maggie lived with them for three months in 2017 while she looked for her own place to live. She purchased a lovely condominium in the Mueller Park 5th Ward and began to make several new friends there. Maggie loved her ward and her new friends and attended faithfully until her health begin to deteriorate. She moved to an assisted living facility in August 2023 where she passed away peacefully on May 16, 2024.

Maggie’s faith in her Savior, Jesus Christ, never faltered following her baptism in 1967.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at Russon Mortuary, 295 N. Main Street, Bountiful, Utah. A viewing will take place Tuesday from 9:00-9:45 a.m. at the mortuary prior to services.

Services will be streamed live on the Russon Mortuary Facebook Live page and on this obituary page. The live stream will begin 10-15 minutes prior to services and wil be posted below.