Dorothy Alice Graham's Obituary
Dorothy Alice Graham
Oct. 5, 1926 - Aug. 10, 2021
Dorothy was born on October 5,1926 in Macksburg, OH to Wilbur Floyd and Alma Lillian (Wagner) DeLong. She grew up there with on older sister and four younger brothers. She graduated from Macksburg High School where she had played basketball in 1944. Then she moved to Cleveland to work for the Navy Department as a clerk.
Dorothy was baptized into Lakewood Methodist Church on Palm Sunday 1949. She was married there to James McKinney Graham on August 26, 1950. Dorothy continued to work at the Navy Dept while Jim, who was a WW II veteran, completed an Electrical Engineering degree and began to work for Ajax Magnathermic. Before their first son was born, she began her long career as wife and mother. As Jim advanced in the company they lived in a variety of places from Canada to Brazil, as the job dictated. While Dorothy took care of her husband and two sons, she also produced beautiful stitchery projects, excelled at bowling, and worked part time as a bookkeeper.
Upon Jim's retirement he and Dorothy moved to Anderson, South Carolina. Living on Lake Hartwell, they continued to enjoy their lifelong love of fishing, boating, and gardening, as well as visiting their grandsons. After Jim's death in 1994 Dorothy moved to Richardson, TX, to be near family.
During this time, she traveled extensively on international cruises and domestic time share exchanges. She was an avid reader who loved to solve all kinds of word puzzles and jigsaw puzzles. She continued to indulge her love of flowers and gardening.
Her last 13 years were spent in Assisted Living dealing with progressing dementia with dignity. As a resident, she was a Wii bowling champion and Bingo enthusiast. She was known for her beautiful smile and pleasant but resolute personality.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her son, Richard Alan Graham, and her grandson, David Christopher Graham.
She is survived by: Son, Bob (Aline) Graham; Daughter in law, Brenda Johnson; grandsons, Paul, John, Daniel (Dayana), and Timothy Graham; grandchildren, Emma Luna and Luca Valentino Graham-Choles.
Dorothy will be remembered as a generous, intelligent, and pragmatic woman. Her last act of generosity was donating her body to UT Southwestern Medical School. Her name will be placed with Jim's on his marker in Arlington National Cemetery.
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