George E. Griggs III ’71 died in May 2019 in Old Lyme, Connecticut

(The following was provided by friends and family.)

George Eastman Griggs III
June 12, 1949 – April 21, 2019

A Man Remembered
George Eastman Griggs III was born in New York City on June 12, 1949.  At six years old he moved with his parents, George and Vera, and siblings Peter and Christine, to Katonah, New York, which would be his home for many years.  A popular and accomplished student at John Jay High School, he was awarded seven varsity letters in track, soccer, and basketball, and set several school records in high jump and sprinting.  George proudly followed in his father’s footsteps by attending Bowdoin College, where he was affiliated with the Phi Delta Psi fraternity and formed many life-long friendships.

In 1976 George married Nancy Treffeisen, with whom he would raise his three children, Anna, Ian, and Daisy.  He also purchased Vista Wines, where he would regale customers with his extensive knowledge of wine and spirits for 14 years.  George later became the third generation of his family to work in insurance as a broker alongside his father and later his daughter, Daisy.

In 2010 George moved to Old Lyme, CT where he lived with his partner, Gail Popoff, and their many cherished animals, including their dogs: Peaches and Mira, their cats Stormy, Pumba and Schlen, and numerous chickens.

George was a voracious reader with interests as varied as Meso-American civilizations, WWII intelligence, geology, and the novels of Evelyn Waugh and F. Scott Fitzgerald.  Ever since his first childhood summers in Maine, he had a deep love for the state’s coast.  A skilled boatman and navigator, George knew every shoal, cove, and islet in Casco Bay.

Since his college days at Bowdoin George was an avid hockey fan, though in his later years his allegiance was to his beloved Middlebury Panthers.  George followed the Panthers all over the east coast for their games, and his devotion was recognized by the American Hockey Coaches Association in 2017 when they honored him with the Joe Burke award for outstanding contributions to women’s ice hockey.

After a three year battle with cancer, George passed away peacefully at home on April 21st surrounded by his loved ones.  We cherish our memories of his bright mind and loving heart.