William Graves Sr.

1937 - 2024

GRAVES, Sr., William Moore

William Moore "Bill" Graves of Atlanta, Georgia, passed away on January 15, 2024, peacefully after a short illness. Bill was a native Atlantan, born on December 20, 1937, the only child of Margaret and Charles Graves. Preceded in death by his beloved wife of 48 years, Frances "Frannie" Graves, Bill is survived by a daughter, Martha Graves Marriott of London, England; a son, William Moore Graves, Jr. (Jen) of Atlanta; and four grandchildren: Amelia Frances Constantia Marriott, Felix Theodore Graves, Rosie Georgiana Elizabeth Marriott, and Anna Lyle Graves.

Bill graduated from Grady High School in 1956 and was a 1960 math major at Georgia Tech, where he was honored to lead the Yellow Jacket Marching Band as the drum major. Upon graduating from Tech, Bill was a founder of Management Science America (MSA), where his business legacy was forged over three decades managing the development and distribution of accounting software for mainframe computers. Later shifting product design toward PCs, MSA was one of the first U.S. software companies to go public after attaining international reach. The core MSA team knew that "people are the key" and Bill was exceptionally proud to be associated with the dozens of incredibly talented colleagues who went on to lead groundbreaking technology startups of their own.

Bill's greatest joys were his family and friends, bringing loved ones together to celebrate each event and achievement and embracing every occasion with open arms. He was immensely proud of his children, grandchildren, and extended family and seized every opportunity to spend time with them, closely following their activities and accomplishments. Bill was happiest when planning a meal or social occasion with Frannie, whether it was a family gathering, welcoming friends to their annual Christmas party, or many memorable wine tastings in his home. He truly delighted in raising a glass at a table with friends, discussing the innate talents of the many Burgundian growers and producers he was honored to know as friends. As a member of La Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, Bill served as Grand Sénéchal of the Sous-Commanderie d'Atlanta. Bill was also a lover of music, cherishing performances by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra while deeply enjoying personal friendships with many talented musicians over the years.

Bill and Frannie joined Trinity Presbyterian Church in 1973, where they felt embraced by the vibrant community and quickly became involved in all aspects of the church. Bill served as an elder at Trinity and was honored to support the church's mission on various committees over the years, culminating in his great interest in the creation of Dobbs Chapel, where he proudly attended many special celebrations of his family and friends.

In addition to Trinity, Bill and Frannie gave their time and interest to many wonderful institutions, including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and Agnes Scott College. Bill particularly enjoyed his time on the Sheltering Arms board, serving alongside close friends in pursuit of their mission of creating opportunities for all Atlantans. With Frannie, Bill became active in the local chapter of JDRF after their daughter, Martha, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. In the 1980s, Frannie and Bill helped to introduce an annual JDRF roast of accomplished Georgians, which has continued in various formats to this day. Bill went on to be the International Chairman of JDRF from 1986 to 1988, working tirelessly to support the vision and mission of finding a cure for Type 1 diabetes.

Over the past ten years, Bill and his family have been exceptionally grateful for Bill's team of talented caregivers, namely Reggie Williams, Shelbert Gaines, Michael Hill, and Taiwo Akerele. The memorial service celebrating Bill's life will be February 17, 2024, at 11:00 AM, at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 3003 Howell Mill Rd. NW, Atlanta, GA 30327. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation at PO Box 1551, Hagerstown, MD 21741-1551 (www.jdrf.org/memorial), or Trinity Presbyterian Church (www.trinityatlanta.org/give), mailing address above.