Gary Wayne Graham, 65, of Elizabethtown, died Sunday, January 7, 2018 at his home. We were incredibly proud of our father. His heart was so tender toward us that we seemed to bring out the very best in him. Our dad felt invincible to us, always projecting strength with a little bit of a cowboy flare. He was a get-things-done kind of a man and we suspect he got that from his beloved mother. As such, not many people knew just how sentimental he was. But his room was decorated with pictures of those he most treasured. He saved every birthday invitation, Christmas card and birth announcement of his grandchildren. He had a strong sense of responsibility and we witnessed him hold to that even when it was hard... Again, a trait passed onto him by his mama. The last eight years of his life was poured out serving as the sole live-in caretaker of his aging father who passed away a few months before him and his mother who has Alzheimer’s. His heart was to prevent either of them from ever living in a nursing home and this was his way of honoring them. We saw his sacrifice year after year, and wondered if we would have it in us to do the same should it ever come to that. He made no distinction between his sons and daughters-in-law. And we each felt cherished by him. What a dad, what a son, what a servant’s heart, what a great loss to us and his grandchildren. But what a heartwarming truth to know he has now come into the full awareness of just how kind and loving God really is. We’ll see you when we get there, dad. He was preceded in death by his father, Herbert Joshua Graham Sr., a sister, Brenda Joyce Manley, a niece, Monica Lynn Manley and two granddaughters, Arianna Joy Graham and Abrianna Joy Graham. He is survived by two sons, Jeremy Wayne (Rebecca) Graham of Fayetteville, NC and Jason Aaron (Amanda) Graham of Elizabethtown; his mother, Elizabeth Catherine Protsman Graham of Elizabethtown; three brothers, Herbert Joshua Graham Jr. of Elizabethtown, Donald Ray (Judy) Graham of Knoxville, TN, and William Joseph (Vicky) Graham of Elizabethtown; one sister, Barbara Elizabeth (Bob) Hilton of Elizabethtown; and 7 grandchildren, Ethan Scott Thomas Graham, Alison Faith Graham, Amira Blaze Graham, Judah Aaron Graham, Arabella Jada Graham, Justice River Graham and Josiah James Graham. The funeral will be Friday at 1 p.m. at The Vineyard Christian Fellowship with Pastor Mike Smith officiating. Burial will follow in Elizabethtown Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Brown Funeral Home and continue after 11 a.m. Friday at The Vineyard Christian Fellowship, 201 South Mulberry Street. Condolences may be expressed online at www.brownfuneral.com.

Visitation:

Thursday, January 11, 2018 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Brown Funeral Home

Service:

Friday, January 12, 2018 starting at 1:00 PM
The Vineyard Church