Obituary of William Howard Graham
Age 74, of Mt. Morris, died, Tuesday, May 2, 2017, at Heartland Health Care Center-Fostrian in Flushing. Mass of Christian Burial will take place 11:00 am, Thursday, May 11, 2017, at St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church in Flushing. Burial will follow in Great Lakes National Cemetery. The family will be present to receive friends at Martin Funeral, Cremation and Tribute Service in Mt. Morris on Wednesday from 4:00 pm until 9:00 pm. On Wednesday evening, family, friends and parish will gather at the funeral home to pray the Rosary at 7:00 pm. On Thursday morning, Mr. Graham will be taken to the church to lie in state from 10:00 am until the time of Funeral Mass at 11:00 am.
Bill was born September 21, 1942, the son of Mr. & Mrs. Howard and Katherine (Coates) Graham. He graduated from St. Michael’s in Flint. Bill enlisted in the United States Navy, proudly serving his country from 1960 to 1963. He and Kathleen Burgess were united in marriage on December 1, 1984, in Flint. Bill worked for General Motors at Fisher Body and Buick City as a lineman for 31 years. He enjoyed jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, watching westerns and classic movies. Bill’s favorite sports teams included the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions and Michigan State University. He had many nicknames from his friends to include, “professor,” “Cowboy” and “Smiley.” He will be greatly missed by his loving family and friends.
He is survived by his wife, Kathleen; four children: Will (Esther) Parkhurst, Rebbeca Parkhurst, Scott Sies, and Michelle (Jeff) Miller; eight grandchildren: Corbin Smith, Bryce Smith, Madylin Porter, Jylian Porter, Keenan Berkey, Logan Parkhurst, Sarah Sies, and Samuel Sies; two sisters: Mary Joanne Burris and Sister Nancy Graham; many nieces, nephews and friends.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents and son Sean Parkhurst.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff at Heartland Health Care Center-Fostrian and Emilia Markee for their exceptional care and support.