Richard Michael Graves

1942 - 2023

Richard Michael Graves, age 81, of Wrightsville Beach, NC passed away on Monday, May 15, 2023.

He was predeceased by his beloved wife, Andrea “Jenks” Graves, his brother Ed Franklin, and his parents, Ralph and Mary (Bollman) Graves. He is survived by sons Mike (Jodie), Matt (Shannon) and Andy; grandchildren Caroline, Colin, Jack, Gabby, Keagan and Rylan; brother Bill Graves (Mo), Aunt Ruth Graves, along with several nieces and nephews.

Dick, as he was known, was one of the nicest guys out there. He made friends easily and had a genuine kindness that seems to be rare nowadays. He grew up in Washington DC, spent summers with his mother’s family in Dahlgren, Va. and was especially close to his maternal grandfather, Richard Bollman, a retired Naval machinist, whom he was named for. He graduated from Wilson HS in DC, then attended Guilford College in Greensboro, NC for a year before transferring to UNC Chapel Hill, where he met his future wife, Jenks (whom he affectionately called “Jenksie”). Legend has it in our family that Jenks first saw Dick in a copy of Esquire magazine, modeling clothes with his fellow Chi Psi brothers, and told her mother, “I’m going to marry him.” Upon Dick’s graduation they married in Jenks’ hometown of Afton, NY, then moved to Bethesda Md. where Jenks graduated from American University while Dick worked for Xerox.

As the Vietnam War loomed, Dick enlisted in the Airforce, promptly moved his growing family to Texas where he attended Basic Training, then was stationed in Colorado Springs, working primarily in I.T. It was in Colorado that Dick realized he had a knack for booking entertainment at local clubs, and eventually moved onto managing and producing shows for local bands. In the early 70’s, the young family packed up (along with Dick’s treasured 1967 light blue Austin Healey) and moved to Chenango Bridge, NY to be closer to Jenks’ family. Dick worked for IBM a couple years before the family moved (back) to Bethesda Md. where Dick had an opportunity to spread his wings in the entertainment production field. With the help of his father, Ralph, and brother Bill, Dick formed Ralph Graves Productions in the mid-70s, which became a fixture in the DC area as well as nationally for the next 30+ years.

In the early 2000s Dick and Jenks purchased a home at Wrightsville Beach and moved there permanently in 2006. Dick continued producing events for a handful of clients, dabbled in real estate and met new people, forming long lasting friendships. He enjoyed light jazz and had a love for dogs (family dogs through the years: Tom, Buddy, Tarheel, and Elvis). He was a very athletic guy and took time to play all kinds of sports (mostly basketball, racquetball, tennis and golf) with his children, grandchildren, and friends.

Services to be announced at a later date.