JOHN GRAHAM

1962 - 2016

GRAHAM--John Lawrence,

passed away on July 5, 2016, having succumbed to the ravages of ALS, with which he struggled for the past two years. He died as he lived his life: on his own terms, surrounded by family and friends, and with a slight grin on his face as he savored the memories of a life well lived. John is survived by his two sons, JW and Rome, of New York City, whom he loved eternally and unconditionally; his mother Barbara Graham Williams of Houston, Texas; his father Jack Graham, of Austin, Texas; his sister Mary Margaret Graham and her wife Sheree Adams of Austin, Texas, who dedicated themselves to supporting John and his boys through this terrible disease and as his life came to a close; and his former wife and the mother of his boys, Michelle Gauthier of New York City. He is also survived by hundreds of friends and colleagues who will miss his quick wit, his hearty laugh and his unfiltered and unapologetic observations on life and the myriad circumstances in which we all find ourselves. The only thing that surpassed John's generosity was his loyalty; and if you were fortunate enough to get into his circle, you soon came to understand that you would never leave it. He will be deeply, deeply missed by all of us, but never forgotten. John was born on October 10, 1962, and grew up in Houston, Texas, where he attended The Kinkaid School and excelled at debate and was a multisport athlete. Following high school, John attended Princeton University, where he will forever be remembered for having founded one of the first Greek fraternities at Princeton in the modern era, the Princeton chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. John was immensely proud of having founded the SAE chapter and to this day, his fraternity brothers remain among his most cherished and loyal friends. After graduating from Princeton with honors, John went to law school at the University of Texas at Austin where he earned his J.D., cum laude. John practiced law for 28 years; first with Baker Botts in Houston, Texas, and New York City; then with King & Spalding in New York City; and ultimately with Clifford Chance in both Abu Dhabi and New York City. He was a highly regarded and accomplished attorney, who focused on mergers, acquisitions and divestitures principally in the telecom and media sectors. John lived in the Tribeca neighborhood for much of the last 15 years, and he could often be found in the bar area of his beloved Wolfgang's sharing a steak dinner with his boys or his friends. Frequently, John presided over late afternoon weekend lunches at Felix on West Broadway, which were the stuff of legend and often extended until the early evening. He traveled extensively throughout his life, spearheading annual guys trips that took John and his cast of characters throughout Europe, including numerous trips to the Greek islands, the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America, Brazil, Africa and the Middle East. His antics and appetite for fun earned him the eternal moniker "the Crowd Pleaser." John spent his summers over the past twenty years in the Hamptons where he enjoyed fishing on his boat and relaxing with family and friends on the beach in Amagansett. It was within sight of this beach he loved that he gave his final breath and said goodbye. At John's request, there will not be a public service. A private wake will be scheduled at a future date. Those wishing to make a gift in his memory are asked to make a contribution to The ALS Association Greater New York Chapter, 42 Broadway, Suite 1724, New York, NY 10004. als-ny.org.