Richard J. Griffith

Richard “Rich” Griffith of Midland Park, NJ, passed away on August 27, 2025, after bravely facing lung cancer for the second time.

Rich was the kind of guy who just came alive outside. If there was a canoe, a tent, a fishing pole—or better yet, a pair of skis—you could bet he was there. Skiing was his true love, and in his younger years he was unstoppable, chasing fresh snow from Killington and Stowe to Whiteface, Sugarloaf, and even Campgaw, just a few miles from home. Trips out west, where the powder was deep and the days endless, were always the ones he looked forward to most. Even when he couldn’t ski anymore, he still found joy in the sport, spending time at Mount Everest ski shop in Westwood, tinkering with skis and chatting with fellow skiers.

Rich also built a career with his own above-ground pool installation business—a job that fit him perfectly. He recently joked that he put in about 150 pools a season. That’s a whole lot of happy summers made possible by his hard work, and he was proud of that.

Born May 24, 1958, in Englewood, NJ, Rich was the youngest child of John “Jack” Griffith and Evelyn Schroeder Griffith. He was preceded in death by his brother, Kendall, who passed away in infancy.

Rich leaves behind his sister, Karen Sonderburg; his nieces Lisa Kapoian and Laura Van Bloem (and her husband, Edward); and five great-nieces and nephews, John, Rachel, and Marty Kapoian, and Timothy and Matthew Van Bloem.

He’ll be remembered for his quiet strength, his love of the outdoors, and the determination that carried him through life’s toughest slopes. His family takes comfort in imagining him back on his favorite mountain, skiing smooth runs under a wide, blue sky.

The Griffith family will have a gathering of friends and family on Wednesday, September 3, 2025 3:00 – 4:30 PM followed by words of remembrance at 4:30 PM at the Vander Plaat Funeral Home, 257 Godwin Ave, Wyckoff, NJ.

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