Clarice Arlene Griffith, longtime resident of Nampa, Idaho, passed away at the age of 92, surrounded by her loving family, on October 6, 2025.  She was born in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, in the small town of Calumet, (which locals referred to as "Yooperville".)  She told great stories to family members of snowbound winters, 10-foot-high snowbanks, freezing at "Canuck" hockey games, and skipping stones across the frigid waters of Lake Superior.

Arlene was of purely Finnish heritage, with family roots in Finland spanning countless generations.  She will always be remembered for her lovely Nordic features, especially her sparkling blue eyes, which looked so beautiful when she smiled.

Arlene married her love, Clifford Griffith, on Sept 12, 1953, in Michigan.  They were blessed with four children.  She was a devoted mother and homemaker her whole life.  The greatest lesson she taught her children was how to rise above trials and tribulations with a positive attitude.  This is known as "sisu" in Finnish culture and was an integral part of her life.

Mom was a great conversationalist. She talked to people everywhere she went. She loved Diet Coke and cookies. She enjoyed listening to music, especially jazz, and her favorite tv show was "Shark Tank". She liked flowers and plants, particularly cactus, and had quite a green thumb. She was truly a thoughtful person and was so diligent about sending cards and gifts and making phone calls to her family.

She is survived by her daughter, Suzanne Leavitt (Reese) of Melba, Idaho; her son, Jim Griffith (Becky) of Yanceyville, North Carolina; her sister, Nancy Adler of Palo Alto, California; her brother, Arthur Torikka of Washington, DC; her sister-in-law, Doris Taylor of Lincoln Park, Michigan; 14 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Arlene was preceded in death by her parents, Bertha and Arthur Torikka; Clifford, her husband of 58 years; and her daughter Kathleen Montague.