Herbert Graham

Herbert Ray Graham, 89, of Frederick, Maryland, passed away peacefully Thursday, February 22, 2018 at Dove House Hospice Center in Westminster, Maryland.

Born November 4th, 1928 in Lima, Ohio, Herb was the eldest son of Ortho and Nellie (nee Parlette) Graham.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Ruth Graham (nee Wohlers).

Too young for military service in World War II, he worked at Lima Locomotive Works as a “child labor” machinist constructing narrow gauge locomotives. After the war he graduated from High School and entered Bowling Green State College in Ohio before transferring to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He graduated from MIT in 1951 with a degree in engineering and moved to Pasadena, California to work at the Southern California Co-op Wind Tunnel from 1951 to 1956. In July 1954 he was married to Ruth Mae Wohlers by Dr. J. Vernon McGee at Lake Avenue Congressional Church. Herb and Ruth would remain married all of his life. In the fall of 1956 he entered graduate school at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) as a requirement to become the student manager of the Graduate Aeronautical Laboratories, California Institute of Technology (GalCit) 10 foot Wind Tunnel. In 1957 their first daughter, Colette, was born. After completing his Master’s Degree in Engineering the family moved to Boston where he attended the Harvard Business School in 1958. In 1959 the family returned to Southern California and he accepted a job with General Dynamics in Pomona. While in Pomona, both David and Kathy were born. In 1962 Herb accepted a job from Northrop Corp in Hawthorne, California and the family moved to Hermosa Beach before purchasing a home in Westchester. In 1967 Herb took a job with TRW where he would remain until retirement in 1994. While with TRW the family would move to Miami, Florida for most of 1969, to Denver, Colorado in 1974 and to Bethesda, Maryland in 1976. In retirement Herb and Ruth would purchase a home in New Market, Maryland near their daughter, Kathy and finally move into the retirement community at Country Meadows in Frederick, Maryland.

He was a long time member at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Bethesda, MD and in his later years was an active member at Calvary UMC in Mt. Airy, MD. He was active in church missions and Christian education his entire adult life often serving on missions, Sunday school and pastoral selection committees, as well as teaching Sunday school and serving as a counselor for at risk youth. Herb and Ruth opened their home to Young Life, Campus Crusade and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship meetings and retreats. Herb was instrumental in developing Missions programs at Calvary through an organization called Advancing Churches in Missions Commitment (ACMC).  He inspired many people to get involved in the Christian Missions field and some into ministry.

He was active in professional engineering organizations such as American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics, the Institute of Transportation Engineers, the Institute of Traffic Engineers, the American Society of Naval Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers and the National Association of Environmental Professionals.

In addition to his wife Ruth, he is survived by their three children, Colette Smith and son-in-law Craig Smith, David Graham, Kathy Johnson and son-in-law Doug Johnson; five grandchildren and one great-grandson. He is also survived by his brother Howard of Middlesex, NH.

The family will receive friends from 10:00 am to 11:00 am on Saturday, March 17, 2018 at Stauffer Funeral Homes, 8 East Ridgeville  in Mt. Airy, MD. A celebration of Herbert's life journey will follow at 11:00 am.  Rev. Dennis Yocum will officiate.  Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a memorial donation to the Missionary Care Fund of Fourth Presbyterian Church, 5500 River Road, Bethesda, MD, 20816.

Expressions of sympathy may be offered to the family at StaufferFuneralHome.com.