Teresa Diana Lee Grilliot

Teresa Diana Lee “Teri” Grilliot, 67, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and a former resident of Van Wert, died at 12:53 p.m. Tuesday, March 16, 2021, at the Cleveland Clinic. 

She was born April 27, 1953, in Bluffton, the daughter of Charles and Elizabeth (Lengerich) Hauenstein, who both preceded her in death.

She is survived by her husband, Stephen Thomas Grilliot of Grand Rapids, Michigan: two sons, Nicholas (Tamikia) Grilliot of Ringgold, Georgia, and Jonathon Grilliot of Dayton; a granddaughter, Emery Grilliot of Ringgold, Georgia; two stepgrandchildren, Isaiah Burks and Kennedy Allen, both of Ringgold; two brothers, Neil (Roseanne) Hauenstein of Blacksburg, Virginia, and Jim (Karen) Hauenstein of Bluffton; a sister, Ramona Hauenstein of Lima; and many nieces and nephews.

Teri obtained her bachelor’s degree from Bluffton College and her MBA from Bowling Green State University. Her employment included Employers Services Department of Lima, Human Resources at General Dynamics Tank plant in Lima, and with State Farm Insurance as an auto claims adjuster in Lima and Newark, with certifications as a CLU (Chartered Life Underwriter) and CPCU (Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter), from which she retired in 2011.

She was a very active member of St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in Van Wert, and other Catholic churches in the communities in which she and her family resided. Of special importance to Teri was her granddaughter, Emery, and the two of them spent many hours together. 

Teri loved to design and decorate houses, rooms, and just about anything she could leave her mark on, including their residence in Van Wert, which she completely designed and decorated both the inside and outside. She also loved to backpack and covered most of Europe, including Florence, Italy, where she maintained a residence in which she resided at least three months a year.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 25, at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church, with Fathers Charles Obinwa and Chris Bohnsack celebrants. The funeral mass will be streamed live at 10:30 a.m. Thursday on YouTube channel VMEL and viewers will be able to go back later and re-watch it. Burial will be in Resurrection Cemetery in Delphos at a later date.  

Visitation is from 2-7 p.m. Wednesday, March 24, at Brickner Funeral Home in Van Wert, followed by a Parish Vigil Service at 7 that evening.

Preferred memorials: Taussig Cancer Center or St. Vitus Village, both in Cleveland. 

Condolences may be expressed at www.bricknerfuneralhome.com or emailed to bricknerfuneralhome@bright.net