Lavon "Sissy" Griffith

A Celebration of Life honoring Lavon will be held at 11:00 a.m. on October 30, 2026, at Roselawn Memorial Park in Denton, Texas, with Jeff Bakker officiating. Visitation will begin at 10:30 a.m.

Pallbearers: Lewis Griffith, Brandon Good, Matthew Good, Timothy Gentry, and Bud Lynch

Lavon “Sissy” Griffith was born on May 17, 1951, at Elm Street Hospital in Denton, Texas, to Evan Leon Griffith and Mildred Katherine Griffith. Lavon was the older twin to her brother, Evan Leon Jr. From her earliest years, Lavon’s life would become a beautiful testimony of faith, family, love, and service to others.

Lavon attended Stonewall Jackson Elementary School, Congress Junior High School, and Denton High School. At the age of 12, she accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior, beginning a lifelong walk of faith that would guide her heart and her hands in serving others.

She was a member of College View Baptist Church and later became an active member of Gateway Baptist Church. Lavon faithfully served with Stonecroft Ministries, where she devoted herself to sharing the Gospel and bringing the hope of Jesus Christ to women who had yet to know Him. Before her illness, she also volunteered as a receptionist for the dental clinic at First Refuge Ministries, welcoming and helping those in need. She worked at Denton State School as a dorm mother, a role that reflected her natural gift for caring for others.

But perhaps one of Lavon’s greatest ministries was found not behind a pulpit or within the walls of a church, but in her own kitchen and around her family table.

Lavon was, without question, the best cook in any county. In Argyle, Texas, she grew her own vegetables and fruits and raised livestock, turning the blessings of the land into the most wonderful, mouthwatering dishes anyone could imagine. Her cooking was more than preparing a meal; it was an expression of love.

Countless Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners were shared around her table, where there was always room for one more. Whether someone needed a warm meal, a place to belong, or simply the comfort of family, Lavon welcomed them with open arms. No one had to be alone or go hungry if Lavon had anything to say about it.

She delighted in teaching her children, grandchildren, and just about anyone willing to learn the art of cooking. And she made certain they learned to do it “the right way,” as she would say. Those lessons were about far more than recipes. They were lessons in patience, generosity, tradition, and love, passed down from one generation to the next.

Lavon leaves behind a legacy that cannot be measured simply in years, but in the lives she touched, the faith she shared, the people she fed, and the family she loved so dearly.

She is survived by her beloved son, David Leon Smith, and his wife, Crystal; her grandchildren, Michael Shane, Shaya Edwards, and Cody Edwards; and her great-grandchildren, Kadey Morgan and Kolt Smith.

She is also survived by her sisters, Vanessa Leigh Lynch and her husband, Rick Lynch; Linda Kay Miller; Kathy Medlin and her husband, Tom; and Sue Bramwell; along with her sister-in-law, Barbra Griffith, wife of her late brother Bobby Lee. And numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Lavon was preceded in death by her parents, Evan Leon Griffith and Mildred Katherine Griffith; her two daughters, Catherine Mae and Laura Lea; her grandson, David Leon II; her four brothers, James Richard, Evan Leon Jr., Bobby Lee, Raymond (Scooter Bill); and her brothers-in-law, Lawrence Lee Miller and Dave Bramwell.

While her family and friends will deeply miss her presence, her laughter, her wisdom, her dry wit, and the love that poured so freely from her heart, they find comfort in knowing that the faith she lived by has now become sight.

Her kitchen may be quiet, and her chair at the table may be empty, but the love she served so generously will continue to nourish the hearts of those she leaves behind.

“Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” — Matthew 25:21 (KJV)

© (Hudson & Torres Family Funeral Home)

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