On Saturday April 10th, 2021, Margaret Arlene (Walsh) Graiff passed away.  She was preceded in death by her husband, Leonard Graiff.  She is survived by her children, Lisa, Laura Graiff and husband Jason Long, and Phil Graiff and wife Megan McHugh, Sister Judith (Walsh) and her husband David Carlyle, brother Geoff Walsh and his partner Linda Atkins, sister-in-law Esther (Graiff) Torry and husband Raymond Torry , and many other relatives that loved her.

Arlene was a teacher at heart, was always interested in others, and had a special affinity for the dogs and cats in her life.  She grew up in Warrington, England and moved to the United States in the 1960's.  For most of the 21st century she lived half the year in Badsworth, England and the other half in Houston, Texas.  Arlene traveled extensively throughout her life both with family and for many years with a local opera patrons group, visiting opera houses in Europe. She loved the arts, especially opera and amateur dramatics, gardening, and animals.  She was an unofficial expert in Jane Austen literature and enjoyed drinking a good margarita while listening to her favorite country song, Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash, or eating fish and chips while doing crosswords with friends.  At the age of 79 she wrote her first and only published children's book, the main characters drawn from her childhood teddy bears, Tederica Frederica and Augustus Algernon.  Well travelled and valued wherever she went, hers was a life well lived, and a life well loved. She was a class act and will be dearly missed by many.

A celebration of her life will be held at the Huntwick Clubhouse, 5300 Coral Gables Drive, on May 2 at 2 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations in her honor to one of the following charities that were dear to her:

Pearl Fincher Museum for the Arts - pearlmfa.org

SmileTrai n

Bayou Land Conservancy

Northwest Assistance Ministries