Basic Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Mary Lee Griffith |
| Two public profiles | 1) Born Aug 25, 1941 — later known as Mary Griffith Cox; died Dec 18, 2006. 2) Named in political biographies as John R. Kasich’s first wife (married 1975–1980). |
| Spouses (public records) | Ronny Cox (married; Mary often appears as Mary Griffith Cox) — husband/actor-musician; John R. Kasich — listed as first wife (married 1975, divorced 1980). |
| Children (recorded) | For the Mary who became Mary Cox: two sons — Brian and John; grandchildren named (e.g., Catherine). For the Kasich-linked Mary: no publicly recorded children. |
| Education / Career highlights | Mary Griffith Cox: B.S. in Chemistry, studies in organic chemistry, research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering, occasional writing credits; the Kasich-linked Mary: minimal public career details available. |
| Net worth (publicly available) | No reliable public net-worth figure found for either profile. |
| Primary public mentions | Obituaries, musician and actor biographies, and political biographies referencing a brief marriage to John Kasich. |
How I found myself following a name — and two threads
I’ll admit it: names are like film noir clues — they open doors to apartments, to back alleys, to two very different lives. When I followed “Mary Lee Griffith,” I ended up at two separate scenes. One is warm with the patter of small-town Midwestern roots and the steady hum of lab equipment; the other is a short, swift chapter in the arc of a political life. Both wear the same name like different costumes, and both deserve their close-ups.
Mary Lee Griffith of the laboratory and the living room (Mary Griffith Cox)
This Mary is the fuller portrait. The numbers anchor her: born Aug 25, 1941, later died Dec 18, 2006. Education reads like a quietly ambitious subplot — a B.S. in chemistry, additional study in organic chemistry, and research work at a major cancer research institution. That’s the backbone: scientist, researcher, curious mind.
Her family reads like a household in a warm American drama: married to actor-musician Ronny Cox, two sons (Brian and John), and grandchildren who carry on the family lineage (one granddaughter named Catherine is recorded). Siblings flank the cast list: sisters Joyce Hansen, Alice Hansen, Kathryn Carol McNair, Jane Wittrup, and brothers John Griffith and Gene Griffith — names that give texture and geography to a life that moved between towns and careers. The family lived stages in places like Sherman Oaks and scattered pockets across the West; the life was private, but visible in the way family notices and obituaries make people public for a moment.
A practical, grounded career — research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering and academic study — contrasts with the theatrical life of a spouse who appears on-screen and in concert halls. That juxtaposition gives the story a cinematic quality: the scientist behind the curtain and the performer onstage. Net worth? There’s an interesting silence: no public net-worth figure appears for this Mary; her footprint is human detail, not dollar signs.
Mary Lee Griffith in a political footnote (John R. Kasich’s first wife)
Then there’s the shorter vignette: a name that appears in political biographies as John Kasich’s first wife, with a marriage dated 1975–1980. Here the file is thin — more of a credit than a fully lit role. The public record lists the union and the divorce; there are no recorded children from that marriage, and independent details about her career, parents, or extended family are sparse in the mainstream narrative.
It’s a reminder that a public life can be partial — a single chapter referenced in someone else’s memoir. The Kasich connection places Mary Lee Griffith in political footlight for a brief time, but the lights didn’t linger on her; they kept moving, focusing on the politician instead.
Family tables — the named people who populate these lives
Family of Mary Lee Griffith (Mary Griffith Cox)
| Relationship | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse | Ronny Cox | Actor & musician; shared life and household (Sherman Oaks referenced) |
| Son | Brian | One of two recorded sons |
| Son | John | The other recorded son |
| Granddaughter | Catherine | Named as a descendant |
| Sisters | Joyce Hansen; Alice Hansen; Kathryn Carol McNair; Jane Wittrup | Geographic notes: representation across several U.S. states |
| Brothers | John Griffith; Gene Griffith | Presence in family obituary records |
Family notes for the Kasich-linked Mary Lee Griffith
| Relationship | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse (1975–1980) | John R. Kasich | Marriage recorded in multiple political bios; divorce 1980 |
| Children | — | No children recorded in public political biographies |
Career, public life, and money — the pragmatic ledger
If biographies were film genres, Mary Griffith Cox’s subplot would be a quiet, intellectual procedural: education in chemistry, study of organic chemistry, research work at a recognized cancer research center — all concrete, professional credentials that suggest expertise more than celebrity. She shows up in writing credits occasionally, a reminder that lives cross industries: lab bench to pen to family kitchen.
By contrast, the Kasich-linked Mary’s career is essentially a blank screen in public records — a name in the cast list of someone else’s story. For both profiles, the ledger is short on financial detail: there is no verifiable public net-worth attached to either woman in public records that name them.
Dates, numbers, and a matter of identity
- Aug 25, 1941 — birthdate for the Mary who later used the surname Cox.
- Dec 18, 2006 — recorded date of death for the Mary who became Mary Griffith Cox.
- 1975–1980 — the span recorded for the marriage between Mary Lee Griffith and John R. Kasich.
- Two — number of sons listed for Mary Griffith Cox (Brian and John).
- Zero — children recorded for the Kasich marriage, per public biographies.
It’s tempting to insist on a single narrative, a neat arc — but the truth here is plural. One name, two public traces. One life with family deep enough to fill an obituary page; the other a brief credit in a political dossier.
FAQ
Who was Mary Lee Griffith married to?
Mary Lee Griffith is publicly recorded as married to Ronny Cox (later appearing as Mary Griffith Cox) and separately appears in records as John R. Kasich’s first wife (married 1975–1980).
Did Mary Lee Griffith have children?
The Mary who became Mary Griffith Cox had two sons (Brian and John); the Mary linked to Kasich is recorded as having no children in public biographies.
What was her career?
Mary Griffith Cox had a background in chemistry and research, including work at a cancer research institution, while the Kasich-linked Mary has very little public career information.
When did Mary Griffith Cox live?
She was born Aug 25, 1941, and died Dec 18, 2006.
Are the two Mary Lee Griffiths the same person?
They share a name in the public record, but the available facts point to two distinct public profiles rather than a single, continuous public identity.
Is there public information about her net worth?
No reliable public net-worth figure for Mary Lee Griffith (in either profile) is available.
