TITLE:  Roy Graham

SOURCE:  The Post and Courier

SUBMITTED BY:  The Post and Courier

FORMATTED BY:  Kim Grissom, Jun 2003

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GRAHAM, Roy
FLORENCE, S.C. - Roy Graham, 84, died Friday, September 28, 2001 in a 
Florence hospital. Funeral services will be at 2 pm, Tuesday, October 
2, 2001, at First Baptist Church of Florence, directed by Waters-Powell
Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Mt. Hope Cemetery.  Mr. Graham was 
born in Florence on July 4, 1917 to the late John Foster Graham and 
Lillian Meares Graham. He graduated from Florence High School in 1937,
and was employed by the Florence Morning News in the circulation, 
production and news departments. During WWII, he was an Army Tech 
Sergeant stationed at Camp Wheeler, where he was Editor of The Camp 
Wheeler Spoke. After discharge, he continued his 20-year newspaper 
career, serving as Sports Editor/Associate Editor the last 12 years. 
In 1949, he became a Federal Probation Officer and retired in 1977.
Mr. Graham served as correspondent for The State, The News and Courier,
and The Charlotte Observer for 30 years. He was Editor of The SC 
Congress of Parents and Teachers monthly newsletter for 3 years and 
was honored with a Life Membership. He was Publicity Director for the 
Eastern Carolina Regional Fair for 40 years. Mr. Graham served on the 
Election Commission for Florence County for 3 years and as a Hearing 
Officer for Florence School Districts 1 and 5 for 10 years. He was 
President of the Yellow Jacket Booster Club twice and each year set 
new membership records. He served on the Pee Dee Lung Association 
Board for 50 years, twice as Chairman. He served on the Salvation 
Army Advisory Board for 50 years, once as Chairman, and was named its 
first and only Life Member in 1999. He was a board member of the SC 
Athletic Hall of Fame and the Baptist Courier for 6 and 15 years 
respectively. He has been an active Gideon since 1967 and a member of 
NARFE since 1978. A member of the First Baptist Church since 1929, 
Mr. Graham served as a Deacon when eligible since 1946 and as Chairman 
6 times. He taught Sunday School since 1944, served as Clerk for 13 
years, as Sunday School Superintendent twice, as Director of 
Discipleship Training 4 times, as Chairman of the Finance Committee 4 
times, as Chairman of Nominating Committee 3 times, as member of the 
Pulpit Committee twice and as Church Historian for the past 15 years, 
writing its history for the 25-year period from 1966 to 1991. He 
started the Brotherhood visitation program to hospitals in 1950 and 
in 1972 initiated The Loving Service Committee, birthday visits to 
shut-ins. For the past 20 years he has chaired the Brotherhood's 
Christmas Gift Program for Bethea Home residents and penitentiary 
inmates. He started The Fifty Year Club in 1980 and The Golden 
Anniversary Club in 1985. December 28, 1997 was declared Mabel and 
Roy Graham Day at the First Baptist Church to celebrate their 
faithfulness and service.  In 1987, Mr. Graham received the Sertoma 
Service to Mankind Award, in 1988, the Civitan's Citizen of the Year 
Award, in 1995, the Chapel of Four Chaplains Award, in 1999, the 
Edward A. McDowell Award for Distinguished Service from the SC Baptist 
Convention and in 1997, he was named an Honorary Chaplain at McLeod 
Regional Medical Center and Carolinas Hospital in recognition of over 
50 years of visitation. Survivors include: beloved wife of 59 years, 
Mabel Mims Graham, daughters and sons-in-law, Linda & Ben Brockman of 
Fairfield, CT, Donna & Curt Rone, of Columbia, SC, and Betsy & Tom 
Wright of Florence; son and daughter-in-law Edward & Nancy Graham of 
Florence; grandchildren, Will Brockman (Lucy) of Ann Arbor, MI, Nathan
Brockman of NY, NY, Graham Wright of Cambridge, MA, Elizabeth Wright 
of Greenville, SC, Nancy Smith (Benji) of Simpsonville, SC, Caroline 
(Randy) Rice of Apex, NC, Jeni Ramsay (William) of Jacksonville, FL 
and Lizabee Rone and Nick Rone of Charleston, SC; great grandsons, 
Jacob Brockman, Jack and Sam Smith; a brother, Alvin Graham of 
Charlotte, NC; and four nieces. He was predeceased by a sister Ruth 
G. Woodard and a brother W.F. "Bill" Graham. The family will receive 
friends at the Funeral Home Monday from 6-8pm. Memorials may be made 
to Gideons, Florence West Chapter, P.O. Box 922, Florence, SC 29503, 
the Salvation Army, P.O. Box 4108, Florence, SC 29502, the Lottie Moon 
Offering c/o First Baptist Church, 300 S. Irby Street, Florence, SC 
29501, or to a charity of one's choice. (Published Oct 2, 2001)
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