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Paul McGraw Obituary
Paul E. McGraw Jr. VIRGINIA BEACH - Paul McGraw went home to the Lord May 27, 2008, at the age of 67. Paul retired as a senior executive service member (civilian flag officer) from the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) after 33 years of federal service to our great nation in Arlington, Va. Paul then served as an eighth grade social studies teacher at Salem Middle School in Virginia Beach for 10 years from 1993 to 2003. Paul made a positive difference in the lives of hundreds of children in our area and blessed the lives of all those who knew him. He loved giving back to our youth. Paul was a faithful servant of our Lord Jesus Christ and we are confident that the Lord has called him to greater service. He is survived by his loving wife of 44 years, Grace Cooney McGraw; his three sons and their wives, Jason and Michele, Terrence and Jennifer and Matthew and Cassie; eight beautiful and wonderful grandchildren; his father, Paul Sr.; and his siblings and their spouses, Jean, Janet and Phil, Kathi and Kevin and Susan. A wake will be held at Hollomon-Brown Funeral Home, Kempsville Chapel, 1485 Kempsville Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23464, Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. A funeral and burial will take place in Northern Virginia at 11 a.m. Monday in Nativity Catholic Church, Old Keene Mill Road, Burke, Va. Paul will be laid to rest following the Mass in Columbia Gardens Cemetery, 3411 Arlington Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201. The family wishes to thank Dr. David J. West, Rochelle Carpenter and Dr. Carl Hartman and his team, and the team at DaVita Leigh Dialysis Center, for their dedication and professional services given to Paul over these last few years. In lieu of flowers, the family would deeply appreciate a written personal memory of time spent with Paul for their memory book.
Memories and Condolences
for Paul McGraw
Sponsored by His Loving Family.
7 Entries
Andy Mastic
June 1, 2008
Dear Grace and Family
Paul was special. I first met paul when I attended a Cursillo Weekend in 1977. Paul was on team. We then were in group reunion for quite some time until his duties took him out of the N. Va. area. We have kept in contact in various ways over the years. My best memory is when I hosted a Sat. Morning Special Ultreya for 20 men at 7:00am and the concrete truck with eight yards of concrete arrived at 7:15. We all "prayed" that concrete into my driveway. Paul was the last to leave about 2:30pm. May Paul rest in peace......Let us all pray for Grace and all of the family as they continue their journey here on earth.
Barbara Molloy
May 31, 2008
It is with great sorrow in my heart that I enter these words. Paul was a dear and loving cousin. There are so many memories … from living across the street to driving through states to spend some time together made for great memories that I’ll cherish always. They are all special … from sneaking down to the Bronx river, to spinning on grandma Salmon’s piano stool, to Celtic roof escapades, to devil’s den, to mud filled shoes from the banks of the Potomac, to root-beer floats, to Broadway theater, to family gatherings and of course, GOLF. He will always be in my heart and in my thoughts and prayers. I’m honored to be one of the apples that fell from the same tree of life with him. I’ll love him always.
I love you all and my prayers are with you.
Barbara
Paul holding Kathi
Kathi McGraw
May 30, 2008
Yesterday I passed a church with one of those message signs that read, “A Christian life well-lived is a sign of hope to a searching world.” Well, to all of you fellow searchers for hope in this broken world, I offer the shining example of the life of my beloved brother Paul. Paul was a uniquely beautiful sign of God’s love to all who knew him. He continually preached the Gospel—not by using words but by the caring and compassionate way he treated everybody. I thank God for granting me the privilege of being Paul’s sister. He always made me feel that I was a special, talented, and beautiful person (especially when I wasn’t feeling that way about myself at all!). And everytime we parted, he made a point of telling me how much he loved me. How blessed I was to have the gift of his unfailing love. When I bought a house, he organized an informal family housewarming party. When I got an answering machine, he made a point of being the first person to leave a message on it. When I had a biopsy, he was the first one to call to find out how I was doing. One Valentine’s day, he left an anonymous box of candy at my doorstep just so I, as a single woman, wouldn’t feel forgotten. When I went to visit him, he always acted absolutely delighted to see me and we would have the most wonderful conversations. As I have said many times before, I always wanted to marry a man like my brother. Small wonder that I never found one who was his equal. Well, dear brother, I trust that you are resting comfortably at last in one of the many mansions in our heavenly Father’s house. God willing, I will meet you there again one glorious day and we will continue the conversation.
Jim LaFemina
May 30, 2008
Dearest Uncle Paul, We thank the Lord for blessing us all by having you help shape, enrich and influence our lives. All my childhood McGraw Family memories have you at the forefront. The joy and laughter we shared at holiday gatherings, your sharp sense of wit and wisdom, ability to turn even the simplest story into a laugh-out-loud experience and your true commitment to family is an influence that shaped the image of man I wanted to be in the future. We thank you for enriching our lives in so many ways and please know your memory will continue to warm us through the years!
With Love, Jimmy
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Karen Lynn
May 28, 2008
I will always remember Paul from our years teaching together. He always had a kind word to say and cared deeply for the students he taught. What I will remember the most is his words of comfort and wisdom he gave to me as I went through trying times in my personal life. We all will remember him fondly and lovingly and miss him dearly.
Connie Rasner
May 28, 2008
Our thoughts and prayers are with you, Grace, and your family. Paul will be missed.
Connie and David Rasner
Stephanie and Gavin Rasner
Michele McGraw
May 28, 2008
We love you Grandpa and we will miss you,
Love, Nathan, Sami, Nicky & Megan
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