Obituary

Ethel Faye Grigg 

November 14, 1943 — August 11, 2026 

Ethel Faye Grigg, beloved mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, great-grandmother, teacher, and friend, passed away on August 11, 2026, at the age of 82. She was born on November 14, 1943, and leaves behind a legacy of love, faith, family, laughter, and a lifelong devotion to children and education.

Faye was a graduate of Southern Illinois University, where she majored in Elementary Education and was actively involved in the Baptist Student Union and Chapel Singers. Her love of teaching became the foundation of her life’s work. She taught elementary education in Texas, Georgia, Florida, and Louisiana, and later earned her master’s degree in Special Education. Over the course of nearly 40 years in education, Faye touched the lives of countless children.

One of her greatest joys was teaching children to read. She had a special gift for helping young students discover the confidence and joy that came from being able to read. Even years after they left her classroom, her former students remained a meaningful part of her life.

Faye loved running into former students around town. They would often approach her with a smile and ask, “Do you remember me?” She would ask them to remind her of their name, and then, more often than not, she would remember a story about them from when they were in her class. Those encounters brought her great joy and were a testament to the lasting impact she had on her students.

Even after retiring from teaching, Faye never stopped teaching. She continued to tutor students and ran an after-school program at the YMCA, work she truly loved. Helping children learn and watching them grow was not simply her career—it was her calling and one of the great joys of her life.

Next to her own family, Faye loved her church, Palestine Baptist Church in Rio. Her faith was an important part of her life, and she gave generously of her time and talents to her church family. Throughout the years, she taught Sunday School, sang in the choir, produced countless children’s programs, worked in Vacation Bible School, and served for a time as interim music director. Most recently, she served as Sunday School Director.

But more than anything, Faye loved Jesus. Her faith was personal, genuine, and impossible to miss. She was never afraid to talk about her love for the Lord, and she certainly wasn’t afraid to ask you about your own walk with Him. She wanted others to know the hope and joy she had found in her relationship with Jesus. Her faith was not simply something she practiced on Sundays; it was woven into the way she lived, loved, served, and cared for others.

Faye especially treasured her weekly women’s prayer group and the friendships and fellowship it brought. She loved praying with and for others, encouraging those around her, and finding ways to serve. She also loved her Pokeno group. These ladies were more than just fellow players—they were dear friends who gave Faye a monthly social outlet filled with laughter, conversation, and fellowship. She looked forward to those times together and treasured the friendships she made through the group.

Faye had a wonderful sense of humor and an infectious optimism. She saw life through a glass that was always half full. Even through difficult times, including battling and beating cancer twice, she continued to face life with courage, gratitude, faith, and a smile. She had a way of finding something to laugh about and a reason to be thankful.

Faye also loved opening her home to friends and family. She was a gracious hostess who took great pleasure in gathering people around her table. She loved setting a beautiful table and making her guests feel welcome and cared for. And anyone lucky enough to sit at her table knew there would likely be something delicious to eat—especially her famous roast beef po-boys and homemade Oreo ice cream.

She had a soft spot for puppies and dogs and never seemed to meet one she didn’t love. Her affection for animals was just another reflection of the tenderness and kindness she carried with her throughout her life.

Faye was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Darryl Jones.

She is survived by her daughter, Susan Graves (Jason) of Marietta, Georgia; her son, David Grigg of Bogalusa, Louisiana; and her brother, Jim Andrews (Margie) of Lexington, KY. She was a devoted grandmother to her three wonderful grandchildren, Dustin Grigg (Victoria), Reagan Graves, and Rett Graves.

She was also blessed with two great-granddaughters. She is lovingly remembered by her nieces, Megan Starling (Justin) and Macy Reed, as well as her great-nieces and great-nephews.

Faye will be remembered for her kind and generous heart, her wonderful sense of humor, her unwavering optimism, her love of children, her devotion to her family, her love for Jesus, and her lifelong commitment to teaching and serving others. She had a remarkable ability to make people feel remembered, valued, welcomed, and loved.

Her legacy lives on in the countless children she taught to read, the students she encouraged, the church family she served, the friends she welcomed into her home, the friendships she treasured, and, most of all, in the family she loved so dearly.

Faye lived a life full of faith, purpose, laughter, service, friendship, and love. She gave much more than she ever asked for in return, and the world is a better place because she was in it.

She will be deeply missed, joyfully remembered, and forever loved.

Visitation will be held on August 17, 2026, from 11:30-2:00 followed by A Celebration of Life Service at 2:00 pm at Palestine Baptist Church.

Poole-Ritchie Funeral Home & Crematory is in charge of arrangements.