SOUTH BEND - Gladden Robert Griggs, 50, died from natural causes on Nov. 5, 2007, in his residence in South Bend.
He was born May 8, 1957, in Belle Glade, Fla., to Julian Gladden and Ruth Warstler Griggs. In September 1988, he married his soul mate, Ann Donohue, who survives.
He graduated from Triton High School, Bourbon, in 1975; earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Manchester College; and then studied two additional years of pre-medicine courses at Manchester College. Instead of becoming a doctor, he worked as a psych tech at the Bowen Center, Warsaw, and was the director of Russell House, Plymouth, for several years.
He later obtained a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Notre Dame University. He then worked at Capital Technologies for 10 years as a machine designer and at Honeywell as a mechanical engineer in the aeronautical department for two years.
His last jobs included designing software and operating computer systems. He specialized in architectural landscaping computer assisted drawing with Ann's brother, Dan Donohue. He recently co-created and designed a patent and trademark for charms, Gribbits.com that can be attached to earphones, ipods, stethoscopes, heart monitors and pencils. He dedicated his life to his wife and children, and opened his heart and home to family, friends and those in need.
Ann is a nurse at Memorial Hospital of South Bend.
Also surviving are three children: Gabriel, 16; Nathaniel, 13; and Olivia, 11; and three sisters, Anita (and spouse John) White, Marian Ravenscroft and Laura (and spouse Howard) Lamaster.
A memorial service will be at 9 a.m. Saturday at St. Matthews Cathedral.
Calling is from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Palmer Funeral Home, South Bend.
Memorials to the Children's College Fund at TCU or St. Matthew's School.
