Obituary
CALLEN GRIFFIN whose stubborn and determined life ambition was to become a counselor to underserved inner city teens and battle the racial injustice that holds back her beloved Chicago from becoming a city where everyone got treated with dignity, died Thursday at the age of 21. She had just begun fall semester at DePaul University having transferred from Pace University in New York City. She was driven to improve the lives of Chicago's most forgotten students and teens. She was a skilled advocate and wrote prose worthy of publication. Callen was blessed with a beautiful singing voice to entertain at family events and sang an alto solo in Lincoln Park High School Choir performance of Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass. She skied through high waves and down steep mountains, and mastered sailing and wall climbing. She thrilled on carnival rides during visits to a county fair in Wisconsin. In moving to DePaul she worked as a dog walker, leading her four-legged clients on long meandering paths all the while I isteningto Rap and Rock on earbuds with her head bobbing and canines needing to move at the beat of her music. Callen was born to Leslie Fox and Bill Griffin and is survived by brothers Patrick (Becca) Sneed-Griffin, Jake and twin Benjamin. Callen became a Bat-Mitzvah with brothers Jake and Ben on June 11, 2012 at Temple Am Shalom in Glencoe and with family accompanied Rabbi Steve Lowenstein on a trip to Israel. Only last weekend she spent with Grandma Deanna Fox, the family's Matriarch. These ladies cooked, laughed, and played mean games of Scrabble. She is survived by uncles and aunts Sara (Michael) Richmond, Tony (Wendy) Fox, Jack (Chris) Griffin and Sandy (Bob) Lowery, and dozens of adoring cousins. She was "Aunt Callen" to her adorable Magnus.
Service Tuesday, September 20th, 9:00 am CT at The Chapel, 8851 Skokie Blvd., Skokie (at Niles Center Rd.). Interment Memorial Park Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to:
The Innocence Project, 40 Worth St, Suite 701, New York, NY 10013. Attn: Development. www.innocenceproject.org
Deborah’s Place, 2822 W Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60612. Attn: Development. www.deborahsplace.org
Project sWISH Chicago, www.projectswishchicago.com
The family will not be receiving condolences at this time, and there will be a celebration of Callen’s life at a later date.
Arrangements by Goldman Funeral Group.
www.goldmanfuneralgroup.com