Charlotte Delphine Graham

Graham, Charlotte Delphine born January 9, 1931 passed away June 11, 2014 at her home in Dana Point, California, at the age of 83. She died peacefully in hospice surrounded by the love of her children and her wonderful caregivers, Mona Ferner and Sandra Vazquez, and Hospice Care of the West nurse, Charmain. Charlotte went to join her beloved husband of 23 years, Donald E. Graham, who passed away 40 years ago in May 1974. She is survived by her four children and their spouses: Diana and Jeff Cooper, Steven and Tracey Graham, Trina and Tod DeGray, and Gina Graham and Scott Longtin. She is also survived by grandsons Chad Brandom and Andrew Cooper. Charlotte was also predeceased by her husband of 16 years, John A. Fusco in 1994, and is survived by members of John's family: Kathryn Bay, and her daughter, Amanda Bay, Jeanne Fusco Klein and daughters Sally Winters Vender, and Carrie Winters Strand. Charlotte was also predeceased by three half-siblings: Ron, Katherine and Herschel Smith. Charlotte was born the second of four children in Whittier, California, on January 9, 1931 to Herman Camp and Delphine Pearl Smith. She is predeceased by her brother, Harold Smith and sister-in-law Martha Lea Smith, and is survived by her brother Hobart A. Smith and sister-in-law Jacqueline Smith, and sister Nancy Neely and brother-in-law Jerry Neely. She attended Whittier High School and got her Bachelor's degree and honorary doctorate degree at Whittier College. Charlotte met Don in Laguna Beach where she was introduced to him by his sister, Anne, who also was summering there at Emerald Bay in the late 1940s. Charlotte and Don married in Laguna Beach in March 1952 and soon settled in Santa Maria as newlyweds while Don started building his resume. They moved to a new housing development, Friendly Hills, in Whittier, California in 1953 in order to raise their family close to Grandma & Grandpa Smith and for Don to pursue his career. Charlotte and Don's marriage was cut short by Don's chronic leukemia illness that finally took him after 8 years in 1974. Charlotte was an acquaintance of John Fusco and his wife, Billie, who also passed away from cancer the following week in May 1974. Their shared experience of losing spouses brought them together and they built and enjoyed their extended step-family together for 20 years. Charlotte was raised to think of others and participated in many philanthropic organizations such as P.E.O., Whittier Women's Club, National Charity League and Assistance League. She was never happier than when she was busy volunteering, and up until she was able, worked in the Assistance League's Turnabout Shop in Laguna and assisted in their enrichment program for Down's Syndrome babies. Charlotte was also on the Board of Trustees of Whittier College for many years and was instrumental in fundraising for various buildings and programs, the first of which was the Donald E. Graham Memorial multi-purpose gymnasium. Being a true matriarch, Charlotte was forever organizing family gatherings at her home in Dana Point, complete with decorating tables with her garden flowers and festive seasonal decorations, and in joining her siblings in gathering the extended family together at Christmas brunches. Starting in the mid-1990s, Charlotte started organizing wonderfully memorable family trips down to La Grulla in Baja, California. Charlotte was also a dear and loyal friend to many. Her loving, caring nature coupled with her charisma, drew many to her and served her outgoing, purpose-filled life. A special thank you to Charlotte's compassionate caregivers who weren't with her during her passing: Karina Bravo and Patricia Caballero and Hospice Care of the West nurse, Mia. Charlotte's memorial service will be held at South Shores Church in Dana Point at 2 o'clock in the afternoon on June 28, 2014. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Assistance League of Laguna Beach in memory of Charlotte Delphine Graham.