Graham Carson Beachum Jr.

Graham grew up living both in the U.S. and overseas with his father being a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force. He graduated High School in Berlin, Germany and came back to the U.S. to pursue his undergraduate degree at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. While attending college, he met the love of his life, Linda, and they married just after graduation. Graham’s first job as a college graduate was working for IBM as a door to door typewriter salesman and over the course of 16 years made his way through the ranks to Division Director, IBM PC Global Sales and Marketing and built the first PC industry Channel Partner program. The IBM PC became the #1 PC Brand within its first 3 years of Operation. In 1985, he was pulled away from IBM by Tandy Corporation in Fort Worth to assist in rebranding the Radio Shack image and then he was pursued by Michael Dell to help his company, PC’s Limited in Austin, TX with marketing their PC product as EVP, Global Marketing, Sales and Service Operations. Graham was head of the marketing campaign during the company name change to Dell Computers and during his short tenure there, he brought Dell much success with his marketing skills. A couple of years later Graham was recruited by Northgate Computers to help with their personal PC marketing campaigns in Minneapolis, MN and then he and Linda settled in Westlake Village, CA in 1991 and within a few years Graham was co-founder with his son of Axtive Software Corp., which offered a software registration tool and whose first client was IBM. Once they sold Axtive, he worked with several other companies over the years as Chief Marketing Director, Partner, Board Advisor and many other roles. His wit and charm brought business investors to the meeting and his marketing expertise and knowledge convinced them to get on board with whatever project, product or investment they discussed. His math skills were amazing; he could add up revenue and marketing budget goals in his head on the spot and forget it if you were a car salesman… He knew what he was going to pay for a car before he even walked in the door.

Graham was an avid reader and collector of art and books. He was actively involved in Young Presidents Organization (YPO) helping in the formation of the Santa Barbara chapter and then joining the North Texas Chapter and later World Presidents Organization (WPO) as a Board member and forum participant. As part of these organizations, he traveled with Linda to South America and overseas to enjoy some of the amazing programs, education opportunities while forming new friendships and building business connections around the country and around the world. He was kind, observant and always willing to help someone with a business issue or dilemma. His solutions were always well thought out and detailed. You never had to guess what he was thinking. He was sensitive under that tough exterior and loved to tell stories of when he was a kid growing up all over the U.S. and overseas.

Graham made Dallas his home for the past 21 years and is survived by his wife of 49 years, Linda, his son Graham C. Beachum, III (Tammy) and his daughter, Kimberly Watson (Doug), his sister, Glenda Schlappkohl, brother, Gary Beachum, and sister, Elizabeth Hecksel (David), sister in-law, Rusty Jones (Richard) as well as 7 grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. He will be remembered as a generous husband, father, uncle and grandfather who was committed to providing for his family and taking them on some of the best family road trips to see all the important landmarks of the United States. The family will receive friends on Saturday, June 30 at 2:00 p.m. for a Celebration of Graham’s Life at C3 Trinity Church, 4300 Cole Avenue, Dallas, TX. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Graham’s memory may be made to the American Heart Association. To make a donation,

http://honor.americanheart.org/goto/Graham_Beachum