New Hampshire Political Icon and “Portsmouth’s Matriarch” Turns 96 Years Old

Friday was the 96th birthday of New Hampshire Republican political icon Ruth Griffin.

When reached by phone on Friday evening, Griffin said, "96? Easy."

Griffin said she does not have any special workout routine or secrets to longevity.

"Except one day at a time. That's it," Griffin said.

The news of Griffin's birthday was spread on social media Friday afternoon by Matt Mayberry, of Dover.

Mayberry said when he met up with one of Griffin's sons and was reminded of her special day he asked, "Does the world know about this yet?"

"Since Facebook is Facebook, I knew the world would know about this pretty quickly," Mayberry said.

In addition to winning the 2015 Granite State Legacy Award, Griffin has been recognized for her service to New Hampshire and the Portsmouth community on the national level.

In June of 2018, the Spaulding Turnpike Bridge connecting Dover and Newington over Little Bay was renamed the Ruth L. Griffin Bridge.

Contact Managing News Editor Kimberley Haas at Kimberley.Haas@townsquaremedia.com.