Graham Tyler Whipple Sr.

Visitation will be held Thursday, January 22, 2026, from 2:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Brown Funeral Home, 1480 E. Hill Rd., Grand Blanc, Michigan, with a Masonic Memorial and Shrine Walkthrough at 7:00 p.m.

Funeral services will be held Friday, January 23, 2026, at 12:00 p.m., at the funeral home, with visitation beginning at 11:00 a.m., one hour prior to the service. Pastor Walt Yeomans will officiate.

Military honors will be accorded at the funeral service.

Graham was born on October 6, 1939, and raised in Flint, Michigan, by his loving parents, Wayne Whipple and Gwendoline Whipple (née Jones). A proud member of the Boy Scouts of America, he carried those values and skills with him throughout his life, continuing to wear various uniforms in service to others.

He attended Flint Central High School and went on to serve in the United States Air Force from 1957 to 1963. During his service, he was stationed in Ohio, including at Lockbourne Air Force Base near Columbus and later at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and also served overseas at Thule Air Base (now Pituffik Space Base) in northwestern Greenland. While stationed in Ohio, Graham pursued continuing education through coursework in the Columbus area and worked as a McDonald’s store manager during the company’s early growth years, helping shape early store operations.

Graham was a member of the Fraternal Order of Police and retired from the Flint Police Department after 30 years of service, concluding his career as Head of Arson Investigation.

During his law-enforcement career, he received advanced investigative training through the FBI Academy, reflected in his expertise and leadership in complex investigations.

Following his retirement from the Flint Police Department, Graham began a second career as a deputy with the Mackinac County Sheriff’s Department, serving for nearly 25 years as the sole law-enforcement officer on Bois Blanc Island in northern Lake Huron. In addition, he served as Harbormaster and as a firefighter with the Bois Blanc Island Fire Department.

Graham was a longtime member of First Presbyterian Church of Flint and the Coast Guard Chapel on Bois Blanc Island, and in later years was a member of Chesaning Bible Baptist Church.

Graham was deeply devoted to the Masonic Fraternity and the Shrine, serving in numerous leadership and service roles over many decades. He was a Past Master of Genesee Lodge No. 174, F.&A.M.; Past Patron of Pilgrim Chapter No. 447, O.E.S.; Past Associate Guardian of Job’s Daughters Bethel No. 4 of Flint; Past President of the Oasis Shrine Club; a Life Member of the Shrine Security Unit; and a member of Elf Khurafeh. He also served for many years with the Flint Area Shrine Circus, where he held a variety of responsibilities over time, including Assistant Circus Chairman, security, concessions operations, administrative and operational support, and financial oversight. His service was marked by dedication, integrity, and tireless commitment.

From a young age, Graham loved the outdoors, and his most cherished place was Bois Blanc Island, where his family owned property. Under the careful guidance of his father, he showed remarkable independence and ingenuity—standing on a small stool to make oatmeal on the stove at age three and, by age eight, learning to drive the family’s old Chevy down a two-track road. While he was still in diapers, his mother regularly washed them in Lake Huron on a rock that would forever be known to the family as “Diaper Rock.” Exceptionally resourceful and naturally gifted mechanically, Graham had a lifelong ability to fix, build, and problem-solve, never shying away from a challenge.

Bois Blanc Island remained Graham’s happy place throughout his life, where he loved to hunt, fish, walk the woods, gaze out over the water from his porch, and treasure time spent with family and friends.

Graham was a strong, guiding presence in the lives of his children and grandchildren and loved them dearly. In recent years, he most enjoyed attending the sporting events of his great-grandchildren.

Graham was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Christine Strickland of Flint, Michigan; and his loving wife and soulmate of 50 years, Jeanette Whipple (née Afelt).

He is survived by his children: Timothy McCarthy of Raleigh, North Carolina; Kathleen (Charles) Cooper of Pontiac, Michigan; Erin (Jim) Corbin of Flushing, Michigan; Stasia (Rod) Larkin of Swartz Creek, Michigan; Maria (Jim) Elliott of Chesaning, Michigan; and Graham Tyler (Toni) Whipple Jr. of Columbiaville, Michigan. He is also survived by nine grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren.

Contributions may be made in Graham’s memory to Shriners Hospitals for Children or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.