Jeffrey Grifo

Jeffrey Peter Grifo, age 64, of Little Falls, passed away peacefully at home, in the presence of loving family and after a short illness, on Saturday, May 15, 2021.

Jeff was born in Paterson and raised in Glen Ridge. He graduated from Glen Ridge High School with the Class of 1975 and during his high school years, he was the captain of the football team and golf team. After graduating from Ripon College in Wisconsin with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, Jeff came home to New Jersey and worked various jobs in New York City’s Garment District before returning to his first love – golf. He settled into a life-long career as a caddie master for Maplewood Country Club and, currently with Crestmont Country Club in West Orange. He was always a hard worker who took his work seriously and took great pride in serving the golfers well.

Jeff met the love of his life, Laura Lynskey on a blind date with his two sisters and their boyfriends at the Brass Rail in Hoboken. That blind date turned on the love-light for both Jeff and Laura. Marriage came on February 28, 1984 in Hoboken. It turned out that the year they married was a leap year and Jeff wanted to get married the next day on the 29th so that he would only have to remember his wedding anniversary once every four years. After a honeymoon in Jamaica, the newlyweds started married life in an apartment in Hoboken. Soon after, they were blessed with the birth of a beautiful baby girl which they happily named Jennifer. Shortly after, Jeff, Laura and Jennifer moved to a home located at 142 Main Avenue in Passaic Park. They remained there for thirteen years then bought a home at 107 Wilson Avenue in Wayne. Tired of raking leaves, they moved one more time, this time to Little Falls in 2010, and have remained there to the present.

Needless to say, Jeff was one of those rare individuals who liked to spend his days off where he worked. His days off were his chance to golf and boy-oh-boy, Jeff golfed a lot – both at the country clubs where he worked as well as other courses. Jeff also had the travel bug. His love of travel started right after high school when he spent the three months of summer backpacking throughout all of Europe with his best buddy from High School. Throughout their marriage, he and Laura enjoyed trips to Greece, Bermuda, Cabo, Arizona, San Francisco, and many visits to California including Carmel, San Diego to name a few. Laura and Jeff’s last trip in December, 2019, was a cruise to The Bahamas with four other ladies besides Laura which Jeff was fine with since he grew up with six sisters.

At home Jeff enjoyed the finer things of life like putting on the chef’s apron, rolling up his sleeves and creating a delicious meal. Laura loved his breakfast omelets – always fluffy, slightly browned with just the right tasty ingredients. His daughter Jennifer claimed that his Italian meatballs were her favorite. They must have been amazing because when Jeff and his siblings talked about having a meatball making competition which they were going to call a “meatball-off’, his sisters ultimately didn’t follow through because they knew Jeff’s would win hands down. Of course, when one is creating in the kitchen, there’s nothing like a bit of nice jazz music playing to inspire and make the mood pleasant. Jeff had that front covered in a giant way. He was a huge jazz music aficionado who possessed literally hundreds of vintage vinyl records, all, of course, in perfect condition. He was especially a fan of John Coltrane and also liked to listen to the blues. Even as he was ill at home these past couple of months, the music continued to play.

Jeff was the soft-spoken type but lots of fun and he possessed a great sense of humor. He was a softy by nature. When his daughter Jennifer was still living home, she wanted to get a dog. Jeff wasn’t high on the idea but, wanting to be a good dad, they got a little Yorkshire Terrier which Jenn named Bella. Well Bella won Jeff’s heart, so much so that, when they recently had to put her down, there was no one more heart broken than Jeff.

Jeff was the dearly beloved husband of Laura (Mary Lynskey), blessed in marriage for 37 years. He was the most loving father of Jennifer Marie Grifo-Villee and husband Bryan of Pequannock; adoring grandfather of Julian Villee; cherished son of June Grifo and the late James Grifo (2017) of Mendham; awesome brother of his one brother and six sisters: Jamie and wife Anne Borsch Grifo of New York City, NY, Shelby and husband Michael Swayze of Philadelphia, PA, Suzanne Grifo of Montclair, Stephanie and husband Joel Botwick of Randolph, Stacy and husband Joseph McClutchy of Cedar Grove, Sandra and husband Mark Montimurro of Montclair, and Sheila and late husband Glenn Fredericks of Mendham; dear brother-in-law of the late Richard Lynskey and wife Eleanor, the late Michael Lynskey, and Brian and wife Leanne Lynskey; and uncle of numerous nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.