Richard Aloysius DeGraff

Richard Aloysius DeGraff, age 94, a longtime resident of Lisle, IL, passed away on Wednesday, July 31, 2024 at St. Patrick's Residence in Naperville, Illinois. He was born December 15, 1929 in South Bend, Indiana.
Beloved husband of the late Geraldine "Gerry" (nee Chwalek), loving father of Lynn (Michael) Budd of Naperville, Jody (Jay) Land of Lemont, IL, Jeanine DeGraff of Largo Key, FL and Christine (Daniel) Dawson of Naperville, adored grandfather of Jennifer (Jim) Bredberg, Christopher (Kate) Budd, Kevin (Lucy) Budd and Kyle (Farah) Budd; Bridget, Erin, Jennifer and Kurt Land; Kelly (Joseph) Zaksheske, Scott, Kevin and Bradley Dawson, cherished great-grandfather of Benjamin and Madelyn Bredberg; Ever, Isla, Elizabeth, Clara, Kieran, Emile, and Noel Budd; Dylan, Nolan and Ryan Zaksheske, devoted son of the late Oreal and Carmel (nee Hartford) DeGraff, dear brother of the late Robert and William DeGraff, fond uncle, great-uncle and friend of many.
Richard grew up just outside of the University of Notre Dame campus. He attended Notre Dame and earned a bachelor's degree in music. Richard was a proud member of the Notre Dame Glee Club and performed with the club on the Ed Sullivan Show several times. Upon graduation, Richard served in the 101st Airborne Division in the Korean War. After his service he went on to earn a master's and doctorate degree in education at Indiana University. Richard then became a professor at Saint Mary's College and went on to work in development at Tri-State College, DePaul University, and the University of Chicago.
In the late 1960's Richard served as Dean of Academic Affairs at St. Procopius College (currently Benedictine University) in Lisle, Illinois. In 1971 Richard became the first lay president at Thomas More College in Northern Kentucky, serving in that role for seven years. In 1980, while working as a fund-raiser for the Family Rosary in Wisconsin, he met Mother Angelica and helped her obtain funding for her first satellite dish. Richard, in 1987, went on to become a founding board member of Mother Angelica's newly created EWTN television network. Richard later worked as Assistant to the Chairman at Grace Corporation, followed by becoming the Executive Director of both the De Rance and Koch Foundations. In addition to his years of work in Catholic education and foundations, Richard was a member of many Catholic based organizations and charities. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, on the board of Catholic Charities in Chicago and Covenant House in New York City, and involved with the Serra Club and Catholic Theological Union.
In addition to these accomplishments, Richard's faith, his wife of 64 years, Gerry, and their family were most important to him. He was a truly devoted husband and in his free time was rarely without Gerry by his side. He loved attending and watching Notre Dame football games, playing golf with family and friends, and teaching his children and grandchildren how to play golf. Richard lived his life devoted to God, family and Notre Dame.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, August 8, 2024, 9:00-10:30 AM at Friedrich Jones Funeral Home, 44 S. Mill St., Naperville, IL 60540.
A Mass of Christian Burial will follow Thursday, 11:00 AM at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church
Interment will follow at Assumption Cemetery, Wheaton, IL.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Richard's memory may be made to:
Eternal Word Television Network, Inc. (EWTN), 5817 Old Leeds Road, Irondale, AL 35210, (800)
447-EWTN, https://www.ewtn.com.
Arrangements by Friedrich-Jones Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Naperville, IL.