William A. Graham III

1926 - 2025

In Loving Memory of William Alexander Graham III

William Alexander Graham III, aged 89, of Galena, MD passed away peacefully on August 24, 2025. Bill Graham was born on February 15, 1936 in Charlotte, North Carolina to William Alexander Graham JR and Mildred Rebecca Lowe.

Bill attended the Myers Park High School in Charlotte and graduated in 1954. He attended college in Raleigh at North Carolina State University. He was in a number of clubs as well as Captain of his ROTC group. Bill became president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity as well as editor and chief of the yearbook. In 1958 he graduated with a degree in Nuclear Engineering.

Bill began a 20-year career in the US Air Force eventually attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He served at Brookey AFB in Mobile, AL for three years, then spent a year in Norman Oklahoma where he also earned a Mechanical Engineering degree from Oklahoma University. Bill joined NASA and served on the Mercury and Gemini programs. For the contributions he made, NASA placed his name on a monument in Space View Park, Cocoa Beach along with other members of his team who made space flight possible.

Bill and Jan moved from the New York Long Island area to Tryon NC. A business opportunity took them to Laguna CA. Family concerns prompted a return to the east coast where they finally settled in Galena, MD in 1990. Bill had accepted a position with ILC Dover where he used his Gemini experience to be a member of the Mars landing team. Jan and Bill bought and renovated an 1880 historic home, adding a master wing to the property. Jan ran the home as a bed and breakfast known as the Carousel Horse.

Jan and Bill both went on to become members of the Galena Lions Club. Bill served as a Judge on the Galena Appeals Board as well as an active member of the American Legion.

Bill enjoyed boating on a sunny day and was a member of the Georgetown Yacht Club. Some of his favorite times were both water and snow skiing and walking on the beach in Cancun, Mexico watching a beautiful sunset. He could often be found listening to music at the Mainstay and drinking a very dry martini, neither shaken nor stirred.

Bill's impact was not limited to his professional achievements. Those who knew him will forever remember his hidden kindness, his steady leadership, his humor, and his unwavering presence. He was a man who deeply cared for everyone around him, leaving behind a legacy of love and compassion that will continue to inspire all who were fortunate enough to cross his path.

Bill is survived by his devoted wife, Jan Graham of Galena, MD with whom he shared more than forty wonderful years of marriage; his daughters Cindy Leaf of LA, California, Melissa Ermutlu and her husband Gary of Fairfield, CT; his sons, Kevin Marcari of Virginia Beach, Michael Marcari of East Hampton, Long Island, Scott Graham of Marietta, GA; and his Grandson Max Marcari of New Orleans.

In accordance with Bill's wishes, Bill will be cremated, and his ashes will be distributed privately. In loving memory of Bill, please consider a donation to the Animal Care Shelter for Kent County, PO Box 352 Chestertown, MD 21620 or to Compass Hospice, 160 Coursevall Dr. Centreville, MD 21617.

Bill meant so much to so many, and his absence leaves a space that can never truly be filled. He will be deeply missed but fondly remembered by all whose lives he touched.

arrangements by Galena Funeral Home of Stephen L. Schaech.