Michael George Griffey

Michael George Griffey, (77), of Palin, Escuintla, Guatemala, formerly of Delphi, Indiana, departed this life on January 29th, 2026. Born July 9, 1948, in Kokomo, Indiana, he was the son of Darrell and Elsie Louise (Cunningham) Griffey. In 1954, Mike moved with his family to Delphi where he attended the Monroe Street School, graduating from Delphi Community High School in 1966.

During his youth, his parents instilled in him a strong faith in God and taught him to be self-sufficient. He began working at age 12 as a newspaper carrier for the Lafayette Journal & Courier. By age 16, Mike had developed a love for his community, its history, journalism and photography. While he was extremely active and his family finds it challenging to consolidate all of the amazing and impactful things he did throughout his life into a few paragraphs, wherever he lived and whoever he was with, he always returned to these passions either with his work or his hobbies. His presence, love and sense of humor will be deeply missed and we will cherish our memories of him.

In December of 1966, Mike enlisted in the U.S. Army and became a Motion Picture Photographer. In August of 1967, he was assigned to the Department of the Army Special Photo Office (DASPO) in the Panama Canal Zone, where he served four years as a Motion Picture Photographer, Still Photographer, Supply Clerk, and Team Chief for Documentary Motion Picture production. Mike received the DASPO Award For Excellence In Cinematography for the first half of 1969, and the Army Commendation Medal for his service in DASPO-PANAMA. Mike served his final year of active duty with DASPO-CONUS at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, photographing documentary motion pictures for the Pentagon.

Mike moved back home to Delphi in 1972 following his military service and had 3 children with his first wife. He was an active member of the Delphi Jaycees, the Delphi-Tri Township Fire Department, a Dispatcher for the Delphi Police Department, and an office worker for the Indiana State Highway Commission.

He was dedicated to preserving the history of Delphi and Carroll County. He was a Charter member of the Wabash & Erie Canal Society, a member of the Carroll County Historical Society, he co-published three photographic booklets: a depiction of the Monticello tornado; Lynched-The Story of Amer Green; and The Pictorial History of Carroll County. He was awarded the Servaas Award for Historic Preservation in 1990 for a publication detailing the history and demolition of the Monroe Street School in Delphi.

He was the Publisher of the bi-lingual newspaper “La Prensa USA” in New Orleans until 1985, and Editor of “The Journal” in Delphi and “The Monticello Sun” until both newspapers were sold in 1992.

Mike briefly moved to Guatemala where he met his future second wife, Blanca “Estrella” Gomez. They married in Delphi on February 18, 1993, and have five children. He returned to traveling the US, photographing college students for their fraternity & sorority composites. During his total career, he photographed over one million students on college campuses in the US. He officially retired in 2012 when he and Estrella constructed a home in Palin, Guatemala, but frequently returned to the US to spend time with his family and also provided freelance services, most recently with “The Comet” in Delphi through 2024.

While Mike spent most of his life working, he truly enjoyed every moment he spent with his wife Estrella, who was his very best friend and companion, as well as his children and grandchildren. His children are grateful he had Estrella to love and care for him, in sickness and in health.

He is survived by his loving wife, Blanca “Estrella”; his sisters Janice (Ralph) Kidder of Brownsburg and Cecilia

(Dennis) Wilhelm of Punta Gorda, FL; his children Michael Griffey II (Lena) of Titusville, FL; April Candace

(Jake) Brey of Silt, CO; Sonia (Thomas) Rosenthal of Milwaukee, WI; Luis (Lizanne) Gomez of Noblesville; Allan (Rosalyn) Griffey of McCordsville; Janice (William) Griffey of Owensboro, KY; Marisa (Raul) Griffey of Logansport; and Wesley Griffey of Mason, OH; his grandchildren Darian, Amelia, Everett, Isabella, Elijah, Oliver, Noah, Sebastian, Liam, Allison, and Pancho; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his mother Elsie Louise Cunningham Griffey; his father Darrell Griffey; his brothers Darrell Francis Griffey, David Allen Griffey, Ronald Ray Griffey; his sisters Mary Jane Marschand and Betty Zane Tucker; nephews Steven Marschand and Rick Darland; and niece Susan Marschand.

Visitation will be held at Indiana Funeral Care, 8151 Allisonville Rd, Indianapolis, Indiana 46250 from 10am-12pm on Thursday, February 5th, followed by a funeral service at 12pm. His burial with military honors will take place Friday, February 6th at 1:00pm at Marion National Cemetery, 1700 E 38th St, Marion, IN 46952.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Carroll County Historical Society or the Wabash & Erie Canal Society.