Nick
Graham
deactivated
Nick Graham (b. 1941, Roscoe, TX) peacefully passed away, surrounded by his loved ones, on January 13, 2025, one day after his 84th birthday.
The middle child of seven siblings, he was raised under challenging circumstances by his grandparents in the steel mill town of Pueblo, CO. Like the rest of his siblings, he found success in athletics at the local schools including Central High School where he became the only two-time state wrestling champion as well as being named an All-State quarterback. He was awarded a football scholarship to the University of Colorado where he was fortunate to play in the 1962 Orange Bowl against LSU. His athletic achievements were recognized years later with the induction into the Greater Pueblo Sports Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Living Legend award in 2011 by the University of Colorado at Boulder.
It was in high school where he met the love of his life, Marva Jean O’Brien. They married in 1961 while he was attending school in Boulder, Colorado and enjoyed 63 years of marriage. After graduation, Nick, Marva and their baby, Tracie, relocated to Bakersfield, California, where he began his career in education. The family was completed with the birth of his son, Randall. Nick spent his entire educational career at Bakersfield High School where he turned his passion for sports into a coaching/teaching career and touched the lives of many students and athletes. He was recently celebrated at a Driller baseball reunion where former ballplayers paid tributes that humbled and honored Nick, revealing he’d made an enduring impact on many lives.
Nick accepted Christ at a young age and credits his faith for always sustaining him throughout his life. He attended and supported several churches in the Bakersfield area and never missed an opportunity to share the love and redemption of Jesus.
Nick was preceded in death by four brothers (Bill, Kenny, Dale, Bobby) and one sister (Betty). He is survived by his wife Marva, their daughter, Tracie (John), son, Randall (Brooke), and grandchildren, Chloe (David), Phoebe, Walker, Lillie, and Delaney. He is also survived by his brother, Jack and in-laws Karen Graham, Joy Graham, Gary Snider and his many wonderful nieces and nephews.
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