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Gwylfa George Griffiths
1940 - 2008
According to the third chapter of Saint Paul’s letter to
the Colossians, as God’s chosen ones, we are asked to
‘put on then, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness,
meekness, patience… and above all, love, which binds
everything together in perfect harmony’. If these are
the characteristics identifying a good man, then our
Dadi, Gwylfa, was your definitive Good Man.
Gwylfa George Griffiths was born a son to Annie Jenkins
and Levi ‘Book’ Griffiths on the 14th
December 1940 in this here village of Waunarlwydd, a
village that remained very close to his heart throughout
his many years. As a young boy, Dad enjoyed the company
of his childhood friends, and developed somewhat of an
obsession with the game of rugby football, that to his
delight, we his daughters, shared. I suppose it’s ironic
that the last game he saw was his precious Wales conquer
the old enemy a week ago last Saturday, a result I
assure you he was delighted with.
 It
was at that clubhouse in Waunarlwydd where he was a
supporter, player, trustee, and honouree member, that in
1980 he met the beautiful lady who was to become his
wife, the mother of his children, and his best friend,
Christine, Mami. Together, they were blessed with and
raised with eternal love their three daughters, Lowri,
Cari, and I Eleri, who today, are humbly proud and
honoured to have such an exceptional mother and truly
wonderful father. All children believe their parents are
the best, and rightly so. But we can honestly say, hands
on heart, we wouldn’t swap ours for the world.
Dad had a variety of other interest. Aside from his
family and friends, he dearly cared for his beloved
Dogs, and it is of some small comfort that in the
absence of his family, his passing was in their company.
He also had a sincere passion for photography, an art he
enjoyed throughout his life, and we cannot remember Dad
without mentioning his enjoyment of travel. One of his
most memorable journeys was one he and Mam made recently
to the Holy Land in Israel. This trip really changed his
outlook on life, particularly strengthening and renewing
his faith and we find solace in knowing that when Dad
passed away, his faith was at its strongest.
We all hold the fondest of memories of Dadi. He was a
man of many circles, many talents and had many friends.
The number of mourners here today is testament to that.
Some of you may know him from his days as an engineer in
Alcoa, as a freemason or as Church Warden here at St
Barnabas, the church that played such a major part in
his life. From a young boy attending Sunday service with
his mother he eventually married, raised his children
here, became a warden, and today fittingly, it is here
we celebrate his life. Whichever way you know Dad, it’s
fair to say that for the majority, all things aside,
Gwylfa Griffiths was more than anything, a trusted
friend. A true and honest Gentleman. His calm manner
couldn’t help but assure us, that whatever happens, in
any circumstance, everything will be ok. His sense of
humour was twisted to say the least, and his
joke-telling methods not the best, but to us, and to all
who had the pleasure of his company, he was most
certainly…well, entertaining and we will all remember
that smile, that grin, that could so easily get him out
of trouble. Believe you me!!
His sudden passing has naturally left a great hole in
our hearts and we are all suffering a great loss and
grieve enormously. But, it is important for us to
remember that grief comes only to those who have loved.
‘God giveth us love, and lendeth us someone to love’ and
it is the way in which we progress with our lives that
will pay the greatest tribute to those we lose.
People often despair at the unfairness of losing ones we
love so quickly, without a chance to say goodbye. But
for us, this would be an unnecessary opportunity, for
when he lived, Dadi never failed to tell or show us how
very proud of us he was, likewise, the love and
affection felt and exchanged between us and him, never
faltered, and never faded, so much so that we cannot and
will not ever doubt it. As his close family, we are so
very fortunate that we have had as a husband and father,
a man who so greatly influenced our lives and our
personalities that it is simply impossible for his
spirit, his soul and his guidance not to live and remain
present in our lives.
On behalf of Mam, Lowri, Cari, Chris and I, thank you
all again for you kind wishes and support at this
difficult time. We will miss Dadi enormously, but if we,
as a family, can continue to show just a fraction of the
love, compassion and serenity in our lives, that he did
in his, then we can confidently assume that we will have
done justice to Dadi’s name.
In the worlds of Harry Scott Holland, Dad has
‘only slipped away in the next room’. And his message
to us would be:
‘Why should i be out of mind because i am out of sight?
I am waiting for you, for an interval, some-where very
near, just round the corner.
All is well.’
So, here’s to Gwylfa Griffiths; devoted husband; doting
father. Met and dearly loved by many, sorely missed by
all. |
