Judith Reighard Graffius, Class of 1962

Judith Reighard Graffius ’62 died March 23, 2021.She was born on May 29, 1940 to the late Clyde and Eleanor (Haring) Reighard in Akron, OH.

After graduating from high school, Judy earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Otterbein College where she was involved in the choir, Sibyl, Panhellenic Council and the Theta Nu (Greenwich) sorority. She went on to receive a Master’s Degree in 1964, and a Ph.D. in 1967 from the University of Illinois. Later that year, she was hired as an assistant professor of botany at Ohio University. It was there that she met her late husband, Herbert Graffius. After teaching at Ohio University for four years, she resigned her position in order to raise her children, Jeff and Erica.

Judy eventually volunteered as a teacher’ s aide in Jeff’ s first-grade class, which was followed by a part-time administrative assistant position at The Plains United Methodist Church, and then a full-time administrative assistant position at the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, where she stayed until retirement in 2004.
After her husband’s death in 2013, she moved to Friendship Village in Columbus, OH, and then to Inniswood Village in Columbus. She moved back to The Plains in 2020. She was an active member of The Plains United Methodist Church for many years, singing in the choir, teaching Sunday school, directing Vacation Bible School for a few years, and serving on various committees. Judy was also known as someone who remembered everyone’ s birthdays and anniversaries, sending cards annually.

Judith is survived by her children, Jeff Graffius and Erica (Rob) Rife, a brother Donald (Cyndi) Reighard, and many nieces and nephews.