Deceased November 20, 2023
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In Memory
Bob Graham passed away on Nov. 20, 2023, at his senior living residence in Sarasota, Fla. He was born in Westchester County, N.Y., on Feb. 28, 1931. His three older brothers, Jack (Yale), Bill ’45 and Malcolm (Brown), all passed away before him. Before attending Amherst, Bob served as a page in the U.S. House of Representatives (1945–47), where he was able to see FDR’s final address to Congress. Arriving at Amherst, he joined Alpha Delta Phi fraternity (when they were still “legal”) and graduated cum laude with a B.A. in history.
After graduation, Bob served two years in Army intelligence as a field agent in New York City. He then began a long career as an international executive at several companies, including Richardson-Merrell, Foremost-McKesson, Ronson and U.S. Tobacco. These assignments saw him live in five countries across three continents, and he conducted business in 98 countries. At the end of his industry career, he became the regional manager in Florida for Veterans Outreach, a nonprofit organization serving veterans and their families in need. His work for Veterans Outreach, where he was able to help some 3,000 individuals, was one of the most fulfilling roles he performed.
Bob is survived by his wife, June, and four children (one son passed in 2021), four stepchildren and nine grandchildren. To the grandchildren, he was known affectionately as Gumpa. Bob loved reading and listening to classical music and left behind an enormous collection of books and CDs, which have been distributed to the family. He led a long and full life and will be missed by all of us.
Douglas R. Graham ’81