Donald Paul Graham

Donald Paul Graham, 72, entered peacefully into eternal rest on June 10, 2021, at home and surrounded by the love of his family.

Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, on November 15, 1948, to Wilfred and Ruth Graham, Don spent much of his youth in Portland, Maine. He went on to graduate from St. Charles Seminary College in Baltimore, MD. While working as an addiction counselor at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, Don completed his Masters of Education with a specialization in Counseling from Loyola College. During this time, at the age of 24, Don was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. He fought valiantly through multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation with his wife, friends, and family by his side, and entered remission after two years. He is considered one of the longest surviving patients to have been diagnosed with AML, and for that he and his family owe their gratitude to Dr. Judi Karp.

Don is survived by his loving wife of 47 years, Catherine; his daughter Lauren (Anthony) Most and granddaughter Lena of Frederick; sister Judy (William) Leary of Portland, ME; sister-in-law Patricia DeWitt of Frederick; nephews Bryan (Angel) Leary, William (Erika) Leary, and Edward (Mary) Schade. Don is predeceased by parents Wilfred and Ruth Graham of Portland, ME; brother David (Deborah) Graham, of Portland, ME; and brother-in-law Michael DeWitt of Frederick.

Don retired from Lockheed Martin, where he served as Director of Human Resources in the Information Systems Division. He was an active member of his church community everywhere he lived, though he most enjoyed his involvement in the Eucharistic ministry. His love of golfing was shared with family and friends throughout his life, and he will always be remembered for his golf and baseball life lessons and analogies. Don will be sorely missed, yet fondly remembered for all of his stories, his compassionate listening, his sense of humor, and his love of friends and family.

The family wishes to extend their deepest gratitude to all of the healthcare providers who treated and supported Don on his lifelong journey, including the University of Maryland Liver Transplant Team, the Donate Life America organization, Frederick Primary Care Associates, Visiting Angels, Frederick Health Hospice, and TransIt Plus of Frederick County.

A viewing will be held at St. Katherine Drexel Church, 8428 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick, MD, on Friday, June 18, from 9:00am to 9:45am. A funeral service will immediately follow the viewing. The family respectfully requests that all who come to mourn wear masks in the church. Following his funeral, Don will be interred at Mt. Olivet Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Don's name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN, 38105 (www.stjude.org).