KEITH CARROLL GRAHAM (1948-2017)

Keith was born in San Jose, California on June 9, 1948 to Harry Graham and Jeanne Douglas Graham. They moved to Baron Park and then to Pacific Grove in time for him to attend first grade at Robert H. Down School. His father had purchased the Pacific Grove Press, where Keith learned the printing trade. In fact, it earned him a full scholarship in printing at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He loved sailing so he and his father built a small sailboat in their basement when he was a boy. He sailed most of his life. He also learned to play the tuba in school. He suited up for PGHS’s football squad only to change into the marching band uniform at halftime. He put away his tuba and changed back into football gear for the second half. He quit the tuba when it was discovered that he couldn’t read music and had been faking it all along.

He was injured in a printing press accident in college and was forced to quit. He and his father started a typesetting business that flourished for a time. Keith had discovered photography and was quite talented. He moved to the Seattle area to begin a photography school. Stints at the Sundance catalog and packaging design at Microsoft used his printing and photographic skills. In 2000 he made a complete career change and began selling life insurance for Aflac, moving up to district manager until he retired.

He came from a musical family but displayed no interest in singing until he moved to Washington and joined his first choir. It turned out that he had a beautiful tenor voice. This became his true calling, giving him joy and pride. Many times he was already at choir practice before the other members and the choir director himself. He had learned to read music after all.

On October 13, 2016, he was taken to the hospital with a kidney stone. While being treated, he had a massive stroke. He lived for 3 more months under the care of wonderful doctors and nurses until he finally succumbed on January 18, 2017.

His sisters, Laurie Graham and Gail Graham Jacobson, his great nephews Graham and Joshua Jacobson and their families survive him. Anyone wishing to make a donation in his name is asked to donate to: Northwest Repertory Singers