Charlotte Griffith of Bristol, RI, passed away July 16, 2026. She wished to be remembered as a peacemaker and for the many ways she helped others. She had a gentle strength. Charlotte was born on January 16, 1944, in Ainsworth to Rex and Ardeth (Sawle) Coleman. She grew up riding her horse to a one-room rural school from the age of six, and she learned many lessons on the family farm that she used later in life to inspire herself and others, such as when she stomped gleefully into the muddy pig pen with her new boots and got stuck. When she called her mother to help, her mother wisely said, “If you got yourself into that mess, you can get yourself out.” And she did! As a mother, piano teacher, elementary teacher, counselor, and mediator, Charlotte was never happier than when she was using her ingenuity, persistence, and caring to find solutions to difficult problems and teach others new skills to help them learn and grow. She soothed her soul by “playing in the dirt” as an avid gardener, making delicious food for her family and friends, sewing her own clothes and curtains, spending time with her many friends (notably her Columbus walking group and the “Witty Wenches” writing group of Bristol), and volunteering for numerous causes close to her heart. Her roles included serving on Delta Kappa Gamma (an Education Honorary Society) for 22 years, including two years as VP and two years as president, serving on the Columbus Public Schools Crisis Response Team for fifteen years, serving as Chair of both the Family Life Curriculum Development Team and the Health Curriculum committee, teaching “Parenting with Love and Logic” classes for five years, and tutoring for the Platte Valley Literacy program. As an active member of the Federated Church in Columbus, Nebraska, she taught Sunday School and Vacation Church School, served on the Governing Council and many committees, took Christ Care (small group ministry) training and served on a team to organize and train ministry leaders, co-led New Member classes, and was a member of the bell choir for seven years. As a first and second grade teacher in Columbus and Duncan,
Charlotte felt the most important things she could teach her students were that school was a safe and enjoyable place and that they were capable of being successful learners. Charlotte went to great lengths to instill those lessons, developing creative, hands-on projects that made learning fun and memorable, and spending hours creating supplementary materials and novel methods to help students who were struggling. In her classroom, students got to build a scale model of the town to learn about their community (and math and reading skills), hand dip candles and make homemade biscuits starting with heads of unthreshed wheat to learn about colonial America (and measuring) and turn the floor of their classroom into an ocean to learn about ecosystems. Her peers recognized her extraordinary gifts, and she was chosen as one of five finalists for Nebraska Teacher of the Year. During the selection process, she wrote, “I do not see myself as one who has done extraordinary things, but I believe I have done ordinary things well. I am committed to both education and service to others. Giving each my very best effort is what gives meaning to my
life.” Later in her career, Charlotte got her master’s degree in Elementary Guidance and helped students and parents throughout the community gain the skills they needed to navigate life successfully. When she neared retirement from teaching and counseling, Charlotte wanted to find new ways to use her skills to help others connect and find peaceful solutions. She developed and taught a Responsible Decision-Making course for the community’s youth court diversion program, and she became a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer to advocate for children in the DCYF (Department of Children, Youth, and Families) system to make sure their best interests were centered in the decision-making process. Charlotte also earned her mediation license and helped Platte County families in conflict build consensus and find mutually acceptable solutions. Before deciding to move to Rhode Island to be closer to family, Charlotte first looked for volunteer opportunities that would enable her to contribute to her new community. She volunteered at the East Bay Food Pantry, Ecumenical Meals, and other organizations as long as she was able.
Charlotte is survived by her brother Larry Coleman of Onancock, Virginia; son and daughter-in-law Brent and Jessica Griffith of St. Paul, Minnesota; daughter and son-in-law Karen Griffith-Dieterich and Mark Dieterich of Bristol, Rhode Island; four grandchildren, Adam and David Griffith and Nathan and Leah Dieterich; and hundreds of students whose lives she touched. There will be an inurnment on Wednesday, September 2, at 3 p.m. in the Ainsworth Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the East Bay Food Pantry in Bristol, RI; Heifer International; or the Carter Center.
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