John Grant Griffiths' Obituary
John Grant Griffiths passed away peacefully at Hughes Home Riverside on July 7, 2026, close to his Fredericksburg home. A retired museum curator and well-known volunteer living history interpreter, John was a member of several historical organizations, both nationally and in the Fredericksburg region.
John was born on July 15, 1938, in Little Rock, Arkansas, to then-Captain David Wood Griffiths, a U.S. Army engineer, and Edith Grant Griffiths, a graduate of Bryn Mawr College. John's interest in history began early with his family heritage: he was the great-great-grandson of President and General Ulysses S. Grant, the great-grandson of former Secretary of War Elihu Root, and the grandson of Major General Ulysses S. Grant III.
After graduating from Washington and Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia, in 1956, John attended the University of Iowa in Iowa City. Upon returning to the Washington area, he threw himself into his passion for living history. He was a founding member of the North-South Skirmish Association's 1st Maryland Blackhats. Later, during the Civil War Centennial, he was a founding member of the First Maryland Regiment.
John continued to participate in living history events throughout his life, including reenactments of the early colonial period, the American Revolution, and the Civil War. He was involved in events celebrating the Bicentennial of the American Revolution, as well as historical commemorations in France and the United Kingdom.
Throughout his life, John spoke with newspapers and magazines about his famous ancestor, President Grant, and enthusiastically promoted an interest in American history to everyone he met. From 1987 until his retirement in 1998, he served as Curator of Ordnance at the Marine Corps Museum in Quantico. Here, his intricate knowledge of historical American weapons proved invaluable.
John lived in Fredericksburg his final 37 years. Here, he was active in the Sons of Union Veterans, the Company of Military Historians, the Welsh Society, and several local Civil War Round Tables and living history organizations.
John is survived by two sisters, Frances Griffiths of Alexandria, Virginia, and Nancy Price of Evergreen, Colorado; two nieces, Jessamine Price and Dr. Eleanor Price (Zach Leach); two nephews, Owen Price (Katy) and Michael Fredenthal; and one grand-niece and two grand-nephews, Olive, Gabe, and Leo.
He was predeceased by his brother, Richard, and his sister, Marian.
John’s family will receive friends from 11am to 12pm for a memorial gathering on Wednesday, July 22, 2026 at Found and Sons Funeral Chapel, 10719 Courthouse Road, Fredericksburg, VA.
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