We regret to announce that on March 2, 2026, Lori Genise McGriff James ascended to the ancestral realm.
Born in Newark, New Jersey, Lori was an avid artist who expressed herself through many mediums. She pursued her love of movement as a dancer with the Thompson Dance Studios, the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, and numerous bembes. She also attended Douglass College at Rutgers University, where she studied communication and journalism, and later brought her voice and storytelling to a long career at the Asbury Park Press.
Lori was known for her warmth, wit, and deep curiosity about people and history. A certified genealogist and knowledge keeper, she had a gift for conversation and connection, bringing together relatives, friends, and newly discovered family members. Those who knew her remember her generosity, laughter, moxy, and the pride she carried of her daughters. In her later years of life, Lori dedicated herself to helping hundreds of people reconnect with their Indigenous American and African roots, preserving family histories and guiding others toward a deeper understanding of their heritage.
She will be dearly missed by all, but is survived by her two daughters who inherited her passions.
