I recently learned of the passing of my grandfather's cousin, John Patrick Graham, which occurred last December 23, 2023. John contributed a trove of information to the Graham/Anflick Family Tree in the summer of 2016. John was the son of Francis V. and Katherine "Kitty" (Garrahan) Graham.
John found my former blog at RestorationsByTim.com in 2015, and contacted me after reading my profile of his grandfather, John C. Graham to arrange a meeting. I remember my mother was concerned that I was talking to strangers on the internet. "But Mom," I assured her," he's name-dropping all these people I never wrote about!"
John and I met in person twice during the summer of 2016. The first time was on July 1st at his summer home in Avalon—eight years ago tomorrow. I had then recently picked up an evening gig working the computers at the Avalon Free Public Library, so wheeling over to his beautiful bay front property was a breeze. We got to know one another, and I met some of his family. I Instagrammed the photo below from his back deck.
Later in the summer John visited my grandfather, Joseph, and I at my grandfather's place in North Wildwood. John showed up with a case of brew, and the two reminisced old times and shared old family photos, including some of his parents Francis and Kitty, one of his grandmother, Anne (McShane) Graham in her younger years, and a rare photo of his grandfather's family back in Ireland with his great-grandparents, John A. and Bridget (Kearney) Graham. Later, over email, John shared some gravestone photos that he took during his pilgrimage to Ireland, including the grave of John's great-great-grandfather, also named John Graham. It was a good thing John took the time to come out, because my grandfather, Joseph, died the following November.
John Patrick Graham was a certified public accountant by trade, hence his former email and Ancestry.com handle jpgcpa313. On Ancestry, he was the proprietor of The Graham Butter and Eggs Family Tree, with Butter and Eggs being the profession of his father, Francis, as reported in census records from the early part of the 20th century. If I remember correctly, believe his shop was on Lehigh Avenue around 8th Street.
I surely had designs to visit John on his back deck once again in Avalon once again, but life happens. I began my career as a teacher the following summer, and we fell out of contact. He has now joined my grandfather, and I trust they are up there reminiscing over another case.
Read John P. Graham's full obituary at the DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home, Inc. web site.
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