John H. Graham Sr.

John Hugh Graham of Duncanville, Alabama, passed away Saturday, June 4, 2022. He was 92. A private graveside service for family at Memory Hill Gardens. Reverend Jeff Pate will officiate. A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held at Riverwood Presbyterian Church at 2:00 pm Friday, June 10, 2022.

John was born October 14, 1929 in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania to the late John Holler Graham and Edna Marie Close. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Lois Close Bell, and his brother Robert Allan Graham.

John served as President of his high school class in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania. He graduated from the University of Alabama in 1953 where he received a B.S. degree in Petroleum Engineering. He met his wife, Betty Jane McLendon, in Tuscaloosa. They were married in 1954. After graduation he served in the U.S. Army as Commander of a petroleum lab at Ft. McArthur in California. He joined the Gulf Oil Corporation and over the next 32 years worked in various capacities as drilling manager in the Danish North Sea; Gabon, Africa; and Nigeria. He retired from the corporate office in London in 1985.

He and Betty Jane moved back to Tuscaloosa in 1986 and built a log home in Duncanville where he served as a Volunteer Fireman. A longtime member of the Riverwood Presbyterian Church, John served as an elder until becoming Elder Emeritus in 2011. Betty Jane died in an automobile accident in 1992.

John loved Alabama sports and was a lifelong fan of his alma mater’s football team. When he married Linda Standridge in 1994, she surprised him with her dowry of four season tickets to Alabama football games which they enjoyed for many years. John served as a Past President of the Black Warrior Chapter SAR and was a member of the Alabama Society War of 1812.

His survivors include Linda, his wife of over 27 years; his children John Jr. (Wanda) of Eufaula, Oklahoma, Glen Allan of Killeen, Texas, and Janalie Margaret of Duncanville, Alabama; his brother James Perry Graham of Crossville, Tennessee; his two sisters Betty Martinko of Chester, Virginia and Mary Lou Aufman of Cincinnati, Ohio; grandchildren Christy Chandler, Rachel Nelson (Lee), David Graham (Sonya), Matthew, Johnathan Graham (Jentry), Jennifer Graham (Bagrat); and five great-grandchildren Emery, Liam, Jude, Oliver, and Ruth.

Pallbearers are Jimmy Hopper, John Kim, Gene Martin, Allen Powers, Dustin Shepard, and Clay Staggs. Honorary pallbearers are Bob Prince, Dr. David Jackson, Millie Kanning, Dr. Richard Rhone, Fred Hahn, Diane Waldrop, and Stephen Norris.

The family wishes to send a heartfelt thank you to Dr. Pam Hughes and the special caring nurses in the Cardiac Surgery Unit 4th Floor at DCH. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Riverwood Presbyterian Church or to the charity of your choice.