Cathy Griffin was one of a long line of superb Regimental Gift Shop managers. She is best remembered for her supreme dedication, magnificent business skills and wonderful infectious friendliness. In the mid to late 1980’s, she was a super volunteer. Despite family and other responsibilities, she toiled for long hours trying to improve our Regimental Gift Shop’s quality and profitability. Eventually her innovations, initiatives, and unbounded energy earned her an appointment as Manager. Cathy diligently worked with senior leadership, spouses, and volunteers toward greatly improved conditions and proceeds for the Association and the Museum. The thing that meant the most was that whenever Cathy was asked to do something, she thanked you for letting her have the opportunity to help and she did it better than anyone else could have even dreamed of doing it. She always volunteered. Her legendary dedication was seen during her declining health and fatal illness, as she bravely continued to be Store manager until so consumed with pain, she reluctantly surrendered the position. Never giving up, she continued to drag herself in as a volunteer until absolutely physically unable to work any longer. There have been legions of great volunteers and workers in our Regimental Gift Shop, but rarely has anyone put more of their heart and soul into it than Cathy. She was a true Chemical Corps hero and all of us whose lives she touched are better off from that touch. Although a small token of our appreciation, the memorialization of our Regimental Gift Shop in Cathy’s name is a befitting and overdue tribute. On behalf of the Chief of Chemical and the Chemical Regimental Association, it gives us great pleasure and it is a distinct honor to forever memorialize the Chemical Corps Regimental Gift Shop as the Cathy Griffin Regimental Gift Shop.
