Gordon "Bill" William Graham Obituary (1929

On Wednesday morning, August 19th, 2020, Gordon William Graham Jr. (Bill, age 90) passed away peacefully with his lovely wife, Marni at his side. Bill was part of the Helvetia community and a member of All Saints' Episcopal Church. Born on September 6, 1929 in New York, NY to Gordon W. Graham Sr. and Maurine (Gracy) Graham, Bill was the oldest of three sons. His family resided in Florida for a time during the Depression, but spent most of his childhood in Drexel Hill, PA. During his high school years, Bill's family moved to Menlo Park, CA. He attended Sequoia High School and graduated with the Class of 1947 to attend Stanford University. While in college, Bill enlisted with the Marine Corps where he served for two years during the Korean War. He graduated from Stanford University in 1953, earning his Bachelor's degree in Economics. Bill met the love of his life, Marni (Haynes) at a dinner party where mutual friends matched them up as Bridge partners. Four months later, on June 29, 1957, Bill and Marni made it official, becoming Bridge partners for life. Married for 63+ years, they grew more deeply in love every day, never missing an opportunity to share words of affection or to hold hands. The Grahams began married life in Menlo Park, CA and later moved to Redwood City, CA where the family spent over 20 years. Their three daughters, Maurine, Nancy and Kathleen enjoyed many pets, took lots of fun family trips and regularly shared dinners together. For over 30 years, Bill served as a Food Broker for major food distributors in the Bay Area. In 1985 Bill and Marni left their empty nest in Redwood City to begin a new adventure in Sedona, AZ - building and opening Graham's Bed & Breakfast Inn. The business flourished earning the highest ratings from both Mobile and AAA before the Grahams retired in 2000. An active member of his church in Sedona, Bill started a tutoring program which paired volunteers with local students to provide homework support. In 2003 Bill and Marni moved from Arizona to Oregon (Rock Creek) in order to be closer to their children and grandchildren. In 2013 they moved to Helvetia. Bill loved sports. He was especially passionate about his beloved 49ers, SF Giants and Stanford football. He appreciated classical music, especially Wagner, and loved to attend live performances. He enjoyed telling humorous stories and loved to engage in conversations about current politics. Often Bill shared that his greatest joy was his family. Bill is survived by his loving wife, Marni, his three daughters - Maurine (& Kurt) Granat of Helvetia, Nancy Graham of Helvetia, Kathleen (& Dan) Hanberg of Aurora - his brother Steve (& Patty) Graham of Vancouver, WA. He is also survived by four grandchildren who affectionately called him "Dad Dad". They are Alex Granat (& Mari, soon-to-be Granat), Christopher (& Ashley + baby) Granat, Ben (& Hannah) Hanberg and Isabel Hanberg. Celebrating in Heaven with Bill are his parents and his brother, Stew. A small service will be held for family later this month. Donations in honor of Bill's life can be made to the food pantry located at All Saint' Episcopal Church, Community Hands Up , 372 NE Lincoln St., Hillsboro, OR 97124.