Olive Griffin Ware
Longtime Irvine resident Olive Griffin Ware, known for her friendliness and her garden, died of natural causes May 27. She was 94.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, July 7, at the Community Church Congregational, Corona del Mar. Burial will be in Cleveland, Ohio.
Mrs. Ware was born Dec. 26, 1906, in Cleveland. She grew up there and earned a degree from Spencerian College in Ohio.
She married Robert Ware and they made their home in the Cleveland area. She worked as a legal secretary in Cleveland.
Mr. Ware died in 1972. Mrs. Ware moved to Irvine in 1980, a year after her daughter, Joan Ware Murphy, moved here with her family.
Until May of last year, Mrs. Ware lived on her own in Rancho San Joaquin Apartments. She was a familiar sight, tending to her patio garden and was outgoing and friendly. After moving to Irvine she worked in child care until a few years ago. She did child care at South Coast Community Church, the Irvine Girls and Boys Club, for private families and for hotel guests, according to her granddaughter, Michelle Murphy Carlson.
In addition to her gardening, Mrs. Ware loved getting to know people, especially young people, said her granddaughter. She was close to her two Irvine grandchildren, Michelle Carlson and Robert Murphy. She knew many of their friends as well. She was often first to introduce herself as “Olive, like you put in a martini,” recalled her granddaughter.
“She always stressed education and getting a degree. She was such a classy lady, so outgoing and had such a zest for life,” said her granddaughter.
She is survived by her daughter, Joan Ware Murphy, of Irvine; another daughter and son still living in Ohio; a second son living in Okinawa; her granddaughter, Michelle Murphy Carlson, of Irvine, her grandson, Robert Murphy, of San Diego, seven other grandchildren living in San Diego, Cleveland and Tokyo; and 11 great-grandchildren.

Source:  Orange County Register, The (Santa Ana, CA)