Dan J. Griffith

Dan Griffith, age 79 of Sioux Falls, SD, died Monday, April 14, 2025.  His family will be present for Visitation on Thursday, April 17, 2025, from 5:00-7:00 PM at George Boom Funeral Home & On-Site Crematory, Sioux Falls.  Private Family Funeral Services will be 10:00 AM Friday, April 18, 2025, at George Boom Funeral Home with Interment at Hills of Rest Cemetery, Sioux Falls.   

Dan and his family have a long history in Sioux Falls. His paternal grandfather, Lewis Boyd Griffith, arrived in Sioux Falls in 1896 and in 1903 married Agnes Maria Broman, who had emigrated from Sweden with her family in 1881 when she was one.  Prudence’s parents were Herbert Otis and Delia (Zimmer) Self, who arrived in Sioux Falls in 1930 after farming near Egan, South Dakota, along with their five daughters. 

Dan had a long and successful career in education focused on helping others. Dan graduated from Washington High School and married his high school sweetheart, Catherine on April 8, 1964. While attending classes at Sioux Falls College, he worked many jobs including janitoring for Sioux Falls School District including Lincoln High School. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in education, Dan became a full-time teacher at Lincoln in 1971/2 and taught biology through early ‘80s with a brief sabbatical as Director of the SD Safety Council in 1977-1978. Desiring to enhance his career in education, he became an assistant principal at Axtel Park High School followed by principal at Patrick Henry and then principal at Lincoln HS until 1999 Lincoln HS where Dan had started as a janitor. He was principal at the Memorial Middle School until his retirement in early 2000’s. Dan guided pheasants at Paul Nelson’s farms while also working with Augustana College to help train science teachers in local area.  

Dan’s hobbies were numerous with a focus on his love of the outdoors and passion for learning and teaching.  He was an avid pheasant hunter, dog trainer and breeder, and long-time member of Midwest Tri State NAVHDA. He hunted upland and big game in SD all his life, and was enthusiastic about fishing, reading, history, gardening, shotgun shooting and pigeon racing. 

Dan is indebted to his many friends and family who enriched his life, while his contributions to others through his dedication to teaching are countless. He will be greatly missed.   

Grateful for having shared his life are his wife, Catherine Griffith of Sioux Falls, SD; daughter, Laura (Scott) Larsen of Des Moines, IA; Phillip (Angela Krause) Griffith of Midland, MI; sisters, Dianne Griffith of Nashville, TN, Jenifer (Jim) Long of Hettinger, ND, and Debra (Kamil) Shakra of Gig Harbor, WA; and a host of other relatives and friends.  

Dan was preceded in death by his parents, Donald and Prudence (Self) Griffith; three brothers, Timothy, Michael, and Kevin Griffith.