LEWISTON — June Lovelace Griffin, noted Maine painter and travel writer, passed away suddenly at her home on Monday, April 25.

She was born in Biddeford on June 11, 1914 while her parents, Daniel and Beatrice, were on vacation. She grew up in Danbury, Conn. where her father, Daniel D. Lovelace, was treasurer of the H.D. Lee Hat Company there. She traveled often to New York City where she studied at the Pratt Art Institute. She then attended Bates College as had her older brother, Dan, sister Helen, and younger brother, Richard, where she graduated in 1936. At Bates is where June met her husband, Lewis J. Griffin, whom she married in October 1937.

Truly a world traveler, Mrs. Griffin wrote travel articles for the Lewiston Sun-Journal for many years as well as the Portland Press-Herald, the Bangor News, International Travel Magazine and a number of smaller publications. There were few countries in the world that she had not visited and written about, although England was a favorite that she visited more than 20 times. Mrs. Griffin was also a frequent substitute teacher at Lewiston High School for many years.

At the same time, she continued to paint and exhibit at galleries in Brunswick, Ogunquit, Portland, Camden and both Cape Coral and Longboat Key, Fla. up until the time of her death. A student of Jamie Wyeth, her strong seascapes even hung in Senator/Secretary of State Edmund Muskie’s Washington office. Some of her paintings are now in the permanent collection of the Bates College Gallery. The Bates College Magazine ran a special interview and feature of her artwork in the most recent Spring issue.

She is survived by her son, Richard L. Griffin of Sharon, Mass.; and grandsons, Patrick C. Griffin of Norwood, Mass., Ryan T. Griffin of Allston, Mass., and Bradford W. Griffin of Methuen, Mass. Other family members include Richard’s wife, Stacy L. Griffin and John’s wife, Nancy W. Griffin, of Auburn and Denise, Amelia, Julia and Sophia Griffin, also of Methuen, Mass. On her maternal side, cousin, Daniel Lovelace of Williamsburg, Va.; nephew, Richard Lovelace of Durham; nieces, June Davis of Elkins, West Va., and Anne Lovelace of Holden, Mass.

Mrs. Griffin is predeceased by her husband, Lewis, in 1998; and her son, John D. Griffin, noted local attorney, in 2011.

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