Marcella Ruth (Kyte) Vandegriffe was born to Roy and Maude Marie (Waddell) Kyte on February 11, 1934 in Elkhart, Kansas. The family moved to Vaughn, Oregon soon thereafter. Marcella graduated from Eugene High School and married Raymond Vandegriffe in February 1952. While in the Air Force, they were stationed in Texas, California and Alaska before returning to Eugene in 1956. Marcella lived out the remainder of her life in the Eugene/Springfield area. Due to the effects of Alzheimer's, Marcella spent most of the last year of her life at ElderHealth & Living in Springfield, Oregon, where she received compassionate and loving care. In September, she moved to Gig Harbor, Washington to live with her daughter and son-in-law, passing away on November 28, 2016 at the age of 82.

During her life, Marcella worked as a homemaker, a school cook, a shipping/receiving clerk (IRECO), a comptroller (Western Irrigation), and the owner/manager, with her husband, of a small grocery store (H&K Market), retiring in 1983 to care for her husband during a long illness until he passed away in 1997 after 45 years of marriage. Marcella was blessed to find love again with Aubrey Hanes (married in 2003) and Milo (Mike) Hamilton (married in 2010). Both men also preceded her in death. Marcella was also preceded in death by her parents and her siblings, Margaret Crafts, Vernon Kyte and Ada Luella Kyte.

Marcella is survived by her sons: Curtis Vandegriffe and Stanley Vandegriffe, both of Springfield; and her daughter and son-in law, Vonda and Stephen Ross of Gig Harbor, Washington; as well as 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren, along with three sisters-in law, a brother-in law, and numerous nieces and nephews.