Graham Davis Holding

Graham Davis Holding, Jr., age 88, of Charlotte, NC died June 20, 2025 after a brief illness. Graham was born on December 15, 1936 in Charlotte. He was the oldest of two children of the late Graham Davis Holding Sr. and Katharine Howard Holding.



Graham graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1958, where he was a member of the inaugural honors program known as the "Suicide 25". After graduation, he served as an intelligence officer in the United States Army, based in Menwith Hill, England. He went on to attend the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif and Associate Editor of the Virginia Law Review. He graduated in 1964, and moved back to his hometown of Charlotte.

For more than 50 years, Graham enjoyed a career as a trust and estate attorney, with over 30 years as partner at the Charlotte firm Robinson, Bradshaw and Hinson. He served his clients and their families as if they were his own.

Graham was dedicated to advancing the legal profession. He published articles and authored several manuals on Estate Planning used by attorneys and financial institutions all over the state. He was a frequent lecturer on estate planning, administration and tax topics.

He was a member of the North Carolina Bar Association's Estate Planning & Fiduciary Law Section since its inception in 1979, devoting much of his involvement to the section's Legislative Committee. He helped draft state legislation that included the Uniform Trust Code, the Uniform Principal and Income Act, and many others.

Graham was recognized for this work in 2019 as the inaugural recipient of the NC Bar Association Estate Planning & Fiduciary Section's Distinguished Service Award, which honors an estate planning attorney who has made significant contributions to the legal practice. The section also established the Graham D. Holding Jr. Justice Fund at the North Carolina Bar Foundation Endowment in his honor.

Graham was a Fellow with the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. He has been recognized at various times by "Best Lawyers in America", as Charlotte Trust and Estates Lawyer of the Year, and as a "Top 100 North Carolina Super Lawyer". Despite all these accolades, Graham rarely spoke of them or about himself at all.

Graham treasured his wife Jane, his family and his dogs (all English black labs). He loved duck hunting in Hyde County with his sons, enjoyed fly fishing on the Cane River in Yancey County, and was known to appreciate the occasional good scotch.

He was a voracious reader and consumed non-fiction as fast as the New York Times bestseller list was updated. In his later years, he and Jane traveled extensively with beloved friends, enjoying many adventures in the British Isles.

Graham's quiet brilliance, thoughtfulness, humility, and kindness will be remembered and treasured by those who knew him and loved him. He stood for fairness, both personally and professionally.

Graham is survived by his wife, Jane, his sons, Graham D. Holding III and William Holding (Kathryn), and his two granddaughters, Grace and Elizabeth Holding. He is preceded in death by his sister Katharine Howard Holding, and survived by his sister-in-law Dare Tolar.

Memorials in Graham's honor may be made to the North Carolina Bar Foundation for the Graham D. Holding Jr. Justice Fund at 8000 Weston Pkwy, Cary, NC 27513.