1943 – 2015

LEWISTON — Eric C. Griffey, MD, 71, of Auburn, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, April 29, at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center.

Known to many in our community simply as Dr. Griffey, he was born in Mobile, Ala., on Oct. 25, 1943, to Bernard and Hazel Griffey.

He enlisted in the United States Navy in 1966, proudly serving his country until 1971. During this time, his travels brought him to Auburn, where he met and fell in love with his beautiful wife, Beverly (Gowell). They shared 41 years together before her passing.

After his honorable discharge from the Navy, he attended the University of Maine, having to take many of his classes at night as he worked as an electrician to support his young family during this time. After graduating with high honors, he was accepted by Loma Linda University School of Medicine, where he graduated second in his class.

Upon graduating, Dr. Griffey was accepted to the residency program at The Institute of Living in Hartford, Conn., where he completed residencies for both general and child psychiatry. He then joined the staff at Fuller Memorial Hospital in South Attleboro, Mass., before returning to Maine to enter into a private practice. He eventually would also head the adolescent psychiatric department at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center.

He was an avid tennis player in his younger years, a nasty ping-pong player and a solid pool player and bowler — but he got hooked on golf later in life and loved the game as much as anyone could.

He was also an inventor, holding one patent at the time of his passing, and had kept busy in recent years writing a novel.

He was a very loving and caring father, a devoted husband, a dedicated physician and a person who did everything he could to leave this world a little better than he found it.

He is survived by his sister, Susanne Wolfe of West Palm Beach, Fla., his sons and daughters-in-law, Eric and fiancée, Kellie, and Peter and his wife, Nora; his brothers-in-law, Richard and Larry Gowell; and six grandchildren, Ryan, Lauryn, Austin, Cameron, Devon and Liam

He will be missed by all of us who knew him.