Calvin Oliver Graham

Calvin O. Graham obituary

Calvin Oliver Graham was born March 12, 1940, in Hominy, OK to Lester James and Chrissie Beryl (LeMaster) Graham. Calvin passed from this life on May 31, 2016, at the Cleveland Manor Nursing Home in Cleveland, OK.

Calvin graduated from Hominy High School in 1958, serving as the drum major for the marching band as well as the organist for the First Baptist Church of Hominy throughout his high school years. Upon graduation, Calvin went to Oklahoma State University where he majored in English. After receiving his BA, Calvin continued post-graduate studies at OSU and was a graduate assistant in the English department.

Calvin’s adventures began after he completed his MA in English; he travelled to Nigeria on one of the initial Peace Corps missions, teaching English. Calvin cherished his time spent in the Peace Corps and spoke of it often. He attended a 50th reunion of his African Peace Corps volunteer class in California in 2015 and enjoyed it immensely.

Upon his return to the United States, Calvin worked in Texas for a brief period before embarking on his next adventure in New York City where he remained for over 40 years. He first worked as a technical writer at Panasonic for 15 years. He spent four years in San Diego, CA as a textbook publisher at Coronado Publishing. Moving back to New York, Calvin became a transcriptionist at the United Nations for a few years. He then worked at Merrill Lynch as a word processor until his medical retirement. He remained in New York for another two years before returning to Oklahoma where he lived at the Baptist Village, making many friends. Due to declining health, Calvin moved to the Cleveland Manor Nursing Home. Calvin will always be remembered for his abundance of musical talent, his razor-sharp wit, his winning smile and persuasive personality.

Calvin was preceded in death by his father, Lester and his mother, Beryl. He is survived by his sister Chrissie Childers and husband Dick, brother Marion Graham and wife Linda, one niece, Kelley Childers Friedberg and husband Ron, three nephews, Richard Childers and wife Kristy, Tom Graham and wife Kim and Jon Graham and his friend Amy Dobbins. He was also great-uncle to Madison, Mallory, Bryan and Bailey Childers as well as Devon, Wyatt and Madilyn Graham.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, June 3 at the Chapman-Black Funeral Home in Cleveland, OK followed by a luncheon that Calvin requested at the Hickory House in Cleveland. Larry Stuart of the First Christian Church of Hominy will officiate.