FREDERICK L. GRAHAM

GRAHAM FREDERICK LORIMER GRAHAM 1915 ~ 2015 Died peacefully at the home of his son in Santa Barbara, CA on the morning of April 12, 2015 at the age of 99. He was born to Lynda and Arthur Butler Graham on July 20, 1915 in Bayshore, Long Island. He attended the Buckley School in New York, the Loomis Institute (now the Loomis Chaffee School) in Connecticut, Princeton University (Class of 1937), and the Sorbonne in Paris. As a reserve lieutenant, he was called into the Army of the United States in 1941 and assigned to Fort Hancock, New York, as a regular Army artillery officer charged with mining New York Harbor. He was then sent to Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. He was assigned successively to Allied Forces Headquarters (AFHQ), to Fifteenth Army Group to Liaison at Seventh Army with General Patton, and to Fifth Army with General Clark. He was recalled at AFHQ and sent to Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force in London as AFHQ liaison officer for political affairs. In this capacity, he played a major role in the Allies' decision not to impose a military government in France. Major Graham was then transferred to the First French Army as liaison officer for political affairs. In the above assignments, Major Graham took part in the landing of Gela, Salerno, Anzio and Normandy, and the campaigns of North Africa, Sicily, Italy, Normandy, France, Germany and Austria. After the Armistice, he became Chief of Mission to the French Zone of Occupation in Austria. He was a lieutenant colonel when he returned to the U.S. and was demobilized in 1947. Fred Graham married Colette Perrier in 1945. They had three children, Sylvia, Isabelle and Frederick. Sylvia died in June 2005. Isabelle and her husband, Patrick Hennessy reside in Palm Springs, California and Frederick lives in Santa Barbara. In 1947, Fred returned to France and became European Manager of Cabot Corporation and later of Witco Chemical Company. He then established a business which eventually had 1,000 employees in eight countries and which he sold in 1992 to an American corporation. In 1978, Fred Graham married Anita Jaatinen of the Finnish diplomatic service. She died in 2009. Fred Graham developed a passion for horseback riding in his forties and continued riding and breeding horses well past his retirement. One of his horses, Caucalis, was selected by the French Olympic team for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Another, Alme, was recognized as one of the top breeders of French saddle horses. He was an active member of the Society of the Cincinnati, America's first patriotic associations of which George Washington was the first President General. The Society is noted for its library, museum and educational programs focused on the Revolution and the founding era. It has a French branch originally organized with the approval of Louis XIV, and works on supporting strong French-American relations. Mr. Graham was elected president general of the Society in 1992 and served to 1995. Fred received many decorations including nine campaign medals and the French Croix de Guerre with Palm. He is an Officer of the French Legion of Honor. In addition to his daughter, Isabelle, his son, Frederick and son-in-law, Patrick Hennessy, Fred Graham is survived by his grandchildren, Domitille, Ludivine and Jean-Bertil Camus; his niece, Karen Graham Hoaas and his step-daughter, Patsy Newhouse Gerachis. His funeral will be held at 2 o'clock in the afternoon of Saturday, April 25, 2015 at Woodlawn Cemetery, The Bronx, New York.His funeral will be held at 2 o'clock in the afternoon of Saturday, April 25, 2015 at Woodlawn Cemetery, The Bronx, New York.