Howard Larson Graham Jr.

October 23, 2014 Last Updated: October 23, 2014 01:36 PM Death Notice

Howard Larson Graham Jr., 88, of Saxonburg passed away at 4:30 p.m. Sunday after a short illness.

He was born on March 1, 1926, in Pittsburgh to the late Howard L. Graham Sr. and Freda Adele Weller Graham.

Mr. Graham was a 1943 graduate of Wilkensburg High School, who then went on to study at Penn State.

He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, serving during World War II in the Pacific Theatre.

Mr. Graham worked as a mechanical engineer at Spang & Co. in Butler, retiring on March 9, 1989.

He was a member of the Moraine Preservation Fund, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, the Alle Kiski Chapter Barbershop Harmony Society, the Saxonburg Volunteer Fire Company and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7376, and he had served on the Butler County Planning Commission.

Mr. Graham enjoyed boating, HO scale model trains and captaining the Nautical Nature boat at Moraine State Park. He also enjoyed local government and current events.

Mr. Graham is survived by his two sons, Bruce Howard (Cathy) Graham of Shaker Heights, Ohio, and Scott H. Graham and his fiancee, Mickey, of East Brady; his daughter, Wendy S. (John) Rickard of Phoenix, Ariz.; his four grandchildren, Amy Schnitzki and Christopher Schnitzki, both of Phoenix, Ariz., Megan Graham of Oakdale and Emily Graham of Butler; his brother, Henry C. Graham of Xenia, Ohio; and a number of nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his three sisters, Eleanor (Sally) Ernst, Dorothy Jean Kelsey and Nancy Ross.

“Twilight and evening bell, and after that the dark! And may there be no sadness of farewell, When I embark.” — From “Crossing the Bar” by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Graham— A memorial service for Howard Larson Graham Jr., who passed away Sunday, Oct. 19, 2014, will be at 11 a.m. Monday at the Thompson-Miller Funeral Home, 124 E. North St., Butler, with the Rev. Barry Keurulainen of the St. Luke Lutheran Church in Cabot officiating. Interment will take place at 2 p.m. Monday in the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies, 1158 Morgan Road, Bridgeville.In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are suggested to the Moraine Preservation Fund, 118 North Shore Drive, Portersville, PA 16051.Online condolences can be given at www.thompson-miller.com.