Gordon Graham June 24, 1935 - August 19, 2026 I started this journey in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, on June 24, 1935, the second son of Beth and J. Elmer Graham, joining my brother Pearson (Skip), 5½ years my senior. My education was all in Mt. Pleasant, home of Central Michigan University, a college specializing in education. Grades K-8 were at College Elementary School, followed by Mt. Pleasant High School and then CMU, where I studied to become a shop teacher, along with art and architectural drafting. Before I entered the workforce, there was this military draft thing. Rather than waiting for our numbers to come up, a friend and I volunteered for the Army. Off we went to Fort Hood, Texas, for basic training, leaving behind my high school sweetheart, Gail Goodwin. We were married in 1958 between phases of advanced basic training. Honeymoon destination? Fort Hood, where we lived for our first months of marriage. I was shipped off to Germany, and Gail joined me a few months later. In January 1960, I was released from active duty. Now came the real world. At that time there weren't many opportunities in Michigan and my brother Skip wisely advised me that Michigan was automobile country, while people in Cleveland were much more interested in homes and their interiors. So we moved to the Cleveland area to join Skip and his wife Joan where I began my career in interior woodworking. It treated me well for the next 45 years. When our company moved to Colorado Springs in 1978, we happily went along, remaining there for the next 28 years. From there we relocated to Dillon, Montana, and finally landed in Wickenburg, Arizona. During my career, I progressed from apprentice cabinetmaker to draftsman, project manager, operations manager, and eventually vice president. The woodworking industry has an association that establishes quality and certification standards. As part of my journey, I became one of the people responsible for monitoring those standards. That took me all over the world-to various places in the United States, China, and Turkey. My loving wife Gail adds "Gordon often was the person who made someone else's design come to life. When woodworkers couldn't quite grasp the architect's vision, he would interpret it for them. He prided himself on his ability to listen to and understand the intention of the architect-to understand their artistic explanations and hand-waving-and then make it happen." Born into a Presbyterian family, I followed that faith throughout my lifetime, serving as both a Deacon and an Elder. It seems I could not keep my hands off church buildings either, and I left a trail of remodeled sanctuaries along the way: Avon Lake Presbyterian in Ohio; Faith Presbyterian in Colorado Springs; and First Presbyterian in Wickenburg. As lifelong learners, Gail and I travelled to forty or so countries to broaden our understanding of people and their cultures. We were married 68 years and cherished every moment. Our three sons are Scott (Susan Davis) Minneapolis, MN; Shawn (Yuko) Tokyo, Japan; and Todd (Marie) Surprise, Arizona. They have given us four wonderful grandchildren: Ian, Eric, Marina, and Logan, all achievers in their own right. Love 'em all! I guess that is a pretty good way to have spent a life! A celebration of life will be held Saturday Sept 12 at 10 am at First Presbyterian Church of Wickenburg.