Julia Aurelia (Swanburg) Griffin passed away peacefully on August 5, 2010 at New Vista Society in Burnaby. She died of natural causes. She was born in Shelburne, Nova Scotia to her parents Angus MacKay Swanburg and Margaret Russell (Corbett) Swanburg.
Julia was the oldest of six children and developed strong family ties. She became a teacher, first in a rural school. She then became a member of the staff at a school for the blind where she made lifelong friends and had many happy memories. She then attended Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she met her future husband, her Russian professor. She and Arthur Kent Griffin married in 1947 and had four children; Arthur, Margaret (predeceased in 2007), Angus and Daphne. After Julia’s husband retired, they moved from Halifax to Chilliwack, B.C. in 1959.
During 1960-1962 while her husband was temporary dean at University of Winnipeg, Julia and her children resided in Vancouver, B.C., where she attended UBC to continue classes in language. When they returned to Chilliwack, Julia became an active member in the community in different ways. She was involved with The Voice of Women association, the University Women’s Club, the Chilliwack Museum & Historical Society and Friends of the Chilliwack Library, to name a few of the ways.
She was very active in promoting the importance of reading for children and in schools, and throughout life. She was also involved with book clubs and in 1982, she opened a book store in Agassiz, B.C. She later moved Stone Soup Book Bazaar to Chilliwack where she ran the store with her business partner and friend, Jim Murdoch, until she sold it in 1995.
She is survived by three children, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held on October 2nd, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. at 45621 Wellington Avenue in Chilliwack.
She was a very special person and we all miss her.
Online condolences can be left at www.hendersonsfunerals.com