William Julian "Bill" Graham

William (Bill) Julian Graham age 81 of Montreat NC passed away January 21, 2026, at Mountain Ridge Health & Rehab.

Bill was born January 7, 1945, in Polk County, Iowa.

Bill was raised in Hubble, Nebraska by his single mother Leona Graham until her passing when Bill was nine. When Bill was newly born, Leona gave him over for adoption to friends in St. Louis, MO. Leona became so distraught after doing so that her father Ephraim (Harry) Harrison Graham went to court to reverse the adoption, which was successful. After Leona's passing, Bill was then raised by Ephraim until his passing when Bill was eleven. Bill's aunt and uncle, Luella and Gwinn Graham (brother to Leona) then adopted him into their family where he became brother to his cousins, John Graham and Sandra (Graham) August.

Bill spent his early adult life in Lincoln, Nebraska before moving to western North Carolina around 1983 where he initially worked as a travelling honey salesman around the mountain tourism areas. He then worked for the Mountain Retreat Association (MRA) as a

maintenance engineer where he remained until his retirement. While at MRA three very important relationships were formed, the first being with Mary Ann Moore who managed the Assembly Inn kitchen and became his cherished wife. Bill and Mary were happily married until her passing on January 6, 2021. The second meaningful relationship that Bill forged was with the boiler system that heated Assembly Inn, and the third being the spillway underneath the dam at Lake Susan. Bill was bound and determined to keep those boilers running, and whenever there was risk of the dam being put under too much strain, it was Bill that crawled up inside the dam to open the spillway. He answered the call, on any day, at any time. The man loved to be heroic and was often looked at as such. His humor was also at play, as he was the instigator of many pranks towards his co-workers and the Town of Montreat crew, who knew each other well and with whom they shared a parking lot with at the time.

Bill loved music. Jim Croce, Cat Stevens, John Prine, and Merle Haggard were especially meaningful to him. Bill played guitar and Mary Ann played piano and violin and together would write songs together of which there are recordings. Bill wrote songs mostly about where he grew up, on extra special pig he raised and won a 4H ribbon for. Bill also had some fun on the stage at the Town Pump a time or two when he would play a song or two with the bands that would form during the summers when MRA college student summer staff were in residence. Bill always got a rousing response when he'd performed the country song "Life Sucks and Then You Die". He loved the attention.

Bill also loved golf and was a long-term member of the Black Mountain Golf Course, enjoying many friends and ample amount of ribbing.

Upon retiring from MRA, Bill continued serving Montreat and surrounding area through his own business and as a contactor for Greybeard Realty. Bill has drained most every house in Montreat to prepare them for winter and get them ready again for summer and many other tasks. Until Bill retired to care for Mary Ann, he had likely touched every house in Montreat, and many more in the surrounding areas.

There is another country song that sums up Bill Graham. The singer croons about his father, singing "There 'aint been nothin' that he can't fix, with WD-40 and a Craftsman wrench". That was Bill Graham. There are so many tales of his exploits, so many dents in his head from swinging hammers in too tight spaces and standing up under ceiling fans when balancing the blades. Too many to be told, and all things for the family to laugh about.

Bill was a member of St. James Episcopal Church in Black Mountain, NC where he served on the Vestry and through the Altar Guild.

PRECEDED IN DEATH BY:

• Leona Graham – mother

• Ephriam Harrison and Sadie Mae (McBride) Graham – grandparents

• Mary Ann Graham – wife

• Gwinn and Luella Graham – adoptive parents

• Sandra (Graham) August – sister

• John Graham – brother

• Lori Lumley – stepdaughter

SURVING FAMILY:

• Son - William (Bill 2) Harrison and his wife Amy Graham

• Son – Cleveland (James) Graham

• Daughter – Angela (Graham) and her husband Steve Walker

• Stepson - Jon and his wife Jean Moore

• Stepson – Cary Lumley (husband of Lori Lumley)

• Grandchildren – Emily (Walker) McLaren, Megan (Walker) Allen, Sadie Walker, Addison Walker, Christopher Walker, Spencer Graham, Riley Graham, Audrey Moore, Ellen (Moore) Clark, Jordan (Bridges) Weakley, Kelsey Bridges

Interment will be at the Montreat Memorial Garden. A celebration of life will be scheduled on a future date, coordinated with family travel schedules. Those desiring to make a memorial contribution, please give to the Montreat Fund through the Mountain Retreat Association website.