Martyn Havard Griffiths, age 77, of Sunnyvale, California, passed away peacefully at home on November 8, 2025, surrounded by his family.

Martyn was born on July 25, 1948, to Iorwerth and Dorothy Griffiths, in London, United Kingdom. He completed his schooling at St. Edward’s Public School in Oxford, England, and went on to study Electronic Engineering at the University College of North Wales in Bangor.

After graduating, Martyn began his career in Germany, launching a lifelong passion for software engineering. His early career included working independently in software development, as well as working for EMI on design of the first EMI scanner (now known as the CT scanner). In 1972, shorty after returning to the United Kingdom, he traveled to Greece, where he met his future wife, Rosalind, on the island of Corfu. They were married in 1975 and went on to build a life together that spanned five decades, celebrating 50 years of marriage, and raising two children, Olivia and Alexander.

In 1991, at the age of 42, Martyn and Rosalind made the bold decision to move their family and career to Silicon Valley, California. There, Martyn continued his work in software engineering, beginning as an independent consultant and later contributing to several technology companies during their formative years.

California’s natural beauty deeply shaped Martyn’s life. He embraced the outdoors wholeheartedly—taking his family on countless camping adventures and becoming an avid runner, cyclist, and windsurfer. After their children left for college, he spent many weekends teaching windsurfing, scuba diving and discovering the fascinating marine life in Monterey Bay.

Martyn never truly retired. He remained wholeheartedly engaged in learning, engineering, and problem-solving throughout his life. As he grew older, his love for nature and the environment became even more central to his efforts, and he devoted his skills to projects that supported conservation and sustainability. He worked with University of Hawaii in conjunction with Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute to develop software used in a deep-water observatory off the coast of Hawaii. He was also recognized by The New York Times for his involvement in the “Buzz Box” project—created with his god-daughter, Francesca Mahoney, Founder of Wild Survivors— an acoustic deterrent that would prevent elephants from crop-raiding and help reduce aggressive measures by landowners to protect farmland from elephants in Tanzania.

For 35 years, Martyn was a cornerstone of his neighborhood in Sunnyvale, often regarded by younger neighbors as a grandfather figure. His passing leaves a profound sense of loss, alongside a resounding peace that he is no longer suffering. He will be remembered as a kind, gentle, intelligent, and truly humane person—someone who listened, connected, and cared deeply for others.

True to who he was, Martyn wanted to say goodbye to everyone. Just days before his passing, with barely enough breath to speak, he shared these words:

“I just want to shout from the hilltops how much I love my friends and family and the wonderful Mother Earth that made them.”

Martyn is survived by his beloved wife, Rosalind Griffiths; his daughter, Olivia Bocanegra and husband, Reynaldo; his son, Alexander Griffiths and wife, Kalie; his grandchildren Dominic, Leo, Josilyn, Knoxx, Paxxton, and one little “twinkle” on the way; and his sister Elizabeth Bark-Jones.

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