John Griffith, 54, of Maryville, Ill., died unexpectedly on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022. He was born July 29, 1967, in Fairfield to Robert and Jean (Wilkerson) Griffith. He married Alicia Augustine on June 8, 1996, in Mt. Vernon. She survives.

John dedicated his professional life to public education which he loved. He was a teacher, coach, principal and student services director. He was in his element as a principal because he truly believed every child he met should have the best education possible to achieve their dreams. His daily interactions with his students were the sunshine in his day. John received his PHD in education in 2015 from UMSL. He spent his free time following the St. Louis Cardinals and every Illini sports team. He also loved exploring new restaurants and attending rock concerts with his wife. He was a Golden Dad, too, to his beloved Ozzy and two other golden retrievers who loved him unconditionally.

He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Alicia Griffith of Maryville; mother, Jean Griffith of Fairfield; sister, Robyn (Bruce) Brown of Fairview, Tenn .; father-in-law, James Augustine of Mt. Vernon; sister-in-law, Maret (Glenn) Visser of Mt. Vernon; two nephews, Max and Sam Visser of Mt. Vernon; and his cousin who was like a brother, Brook Miller of Virginia. He was preceded in death by his father, Robert Griffith; his beloved grandmother, Mildred Shehorn; and his mother-in-law, Dolores Augustine.

Cremation was entrusted to Wojstrom Funeral Home & Crematory in Granite City. A small private service was held at Johnson Vaughn Funeral Home in Fairfield. 

For those that would like to honor John, memorials are suggested to: Love a Golden Rsq, P.O. Box 27621, St. Louis, MO 63146 or www.loveagolden.com.