Roger Pern Graham

1941 - 2020

Roger P. Graham
1941-2020
Roger Pern Graham, 78, passed into the arms of the Lord on January 11, 2020 at his home in Meridian, ID. Roger was born in Boise on January 17, 1941. He was the oldest son of Earl and Fern Graham, a brother to Ramona and Leon; loving father to Wray, Carmen, Heidi and Vanessa, grandfather to 8 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren, and a dear friend to many.
Roger spent his youth in Bruneau and on his happiest days he was fishing, hunting, white-water-rafting, hiking, or in his own words 'riding my horse in Owyhee Country with a rifle in one hand and a fishing pole in the other, reared back singing to my horse'. He attended Bruneau schools and graduated in 1959 as valedictorian, Eagle Scout and American Legion Citizen of the Year. He attended the University of Idaho, where he received his baccalaureate in architecture in 1964.
In 1964 he married Kristin (Cobbley) Logan and they moved to Prosser, WA and Salem, OR for him to complete his engineering and architectural apprenticeships. They moved to Meridian in 1970 and divorced in 1985.
Roger enjoyed his career as an architect where he designed and constructed commercial shopping centers across the U.S. He worked for Morrison Knudsen and Albertsons where in 2001, he retired after 27 years.
Roger was Potawatomi Indian and his Native American given name was Nawget (In the Center) and he loved to be in the center of his family and friends watching football, attending school and community events, vacationing and sharing stories about his work, life growing up, travel and outdoor adventures. Roger claimed he 'invented fun' and kept family and friends connected regardless of distance or time.
Roger is preceded in death by his father Earl and sister Ramona Church. To remember Roger, the family asks for donations to be made in his memory to the American Diabetes Association. The family will also plan a celebration of his life in the warmer months in Bruneau, ID.