I am saddened that Judge Grifo passed away last week. He was chairman of Mariton's Board of Trustees for many, many years. He was close friends with Mary and Antonio Guerrero, and so he took the job of guiding the Mariton Wilderness Trust personally. One of the last projects that we worked on together was renovating the Barn into the new Nature Center. He was very excited about the project, and pleased that it turned out so beautifully. The Nature Center is a tribute to the Guerreros, but also a fine expression of Judge Grifo's time on the Board.
I enjoyed our conversations. Judge Grifo put a lot of consideration into what was best for Martion as an organization, and how Mary and Tony might feel about the work we were doing. He was thoughtful, and always offered good advice. His stories about the Guerreros gave me great insight into Mariton's founders.
I knew Judge Grifo as a man with a quick smile and a sly wink. At one of the board functions, Maureen put out a fancy spread. Judge Grifo arrived wearing a beautiful suit. Our dog went to greet the Judge, and Maureen was upset that he would get dog hair on the suit. Before I could intercede, Judge Grifo greeted the dog with enthusiastic petting and ear scratching. The dog loved it, Maureen was mortified, and Judge Grifo laughed joyfully.
I miss his thoughtful insight. I miss his stories about the Guerreros. And I miss that smile.
