On Sunday, January 5, 2020, James Parke Graham of both Pittsburgh, PA and South Bend, IN went home to be with the Lord at the age of 90.  Jim was born in the city of Pittsburgh on August 27, 1929 to James A. Graham and Phyllis Parke Bonsall.  He had one sibling, Nancy Over, 2 years his senior.  All have preceded him in death.  Jim, or Jay as his side of the family called him, graduated from Peabody High School in East Liberty in 1948.  After working some odd jobs, he enlisted in the military and served in the Army during the Korean War five years in Intelligence.

Upon his discharge, Jim returned to Pittsburgh and soon settled into a job with Associates, a finance company in East Liberty.  It was there he met the love of his life, Virginia ( Jymma) Rutledge who would become his wife just one year later.  They were married for 63 years at the time of his death.

Jim had many jobs in his lifetime and loved many of them.  He was bright, hardworking and entrepreneurial.  After working for Associates, he went on to sell securities and investments with Winchester Securities.  That firm invested in opening up a ski area, Wildwood Highlands near North Park.  Jim did the feasibility studies of how to take an abandoned coal mine and boney pile and transform it into a beautiful alpine like ski area.  In 1973 when it opened, Jim became the General Manager.  He often said it was the favorite job he ever had.

When, sadly, the lodge burned down in the winter of 1975, Jim worked to help use the property to open up a year- round indoor-outdoor flea market called Peddler's Village. Dozens of vendors came each week, and that flea market lasted for decades.

In 1979 Jim took a job in the Midwest and moved his family to South Bend, IN.  There he was the general manager of a lumber company for 4 years, before a recession in the RV industry forced it to close.  But Jim, always with an amazing, never give up attitude, kept looking for the next thing.  In 1985 at age 56 he began to sell industrial safety equipment/gas detectors for Neotronics. Within 2 years he rose to be their number one salesman nationally and was for several years after that into his early 60's.  When he retired from that firm, he opened his own business.  At the age of 65 he became the owner of GUSCO (Granger Utility and Supply Company) and ran that company successfully until ill health forced him to retire at the age of 75.  He had worked full time from a young man, until that year.

Jim was a very generous man, supporting many ministries and charities, from foreign missionaries to local charities, police and veterans' groups, as well as charity run hospitals. His favorite song was, "Thank You For Giving to the Lord', by Ray Boltz.

Jim was very adaptive to new technology, quickly learning everything from emails to texting to Facebook and messaging and even Facetiming with family members.  He loved new technology.

But, mostly, Jim's real love and passion was for his family.  He was a faithful and committed husband, a loving and supportive father, grandfather and great grandfather. His family was always in his thoughts, right to the very end.

He is survived by his wife, Virginia, age 89, his daughter Deborah Ecker ( Dan Ecker), his son Theodore 'Ted' Graham, his daughter Christine 'Chris' Graham ( Greg Kosevich), his granddaughter Nicole Graham (Christine Graham),his granddaughter Jennifer Jackson, ( Ted Graham), and his grandson Josiah Ecker ( Deborah Ecker).  He is also survived by his 2 great grandsons, Michael Graham and Daylin Bingham ( Nicole Graham) and two half sisters, Ann Yost and Susan Bonsall. He is also survived by 31 nieces and nephews.

When Jim was born, there were still some horse drawn carts coming through his neighborhood streets selling vegetables or ice for the ice box.  When he died, people from all over the world could communicate via the internet.  He had a wonderful sense of humor and could find the humor in almost any situation.  He was kind, gracious, generous and above all, loving.  He was always focused on others, on how they were doing.  He will be greatly missed, but we are so thankful that we had such a good and faithful man as our father, our guardian, our caretaker and our example.  I pray we take his kindness forward into this new century.

Jim's cremated remains will be held by the family, and a funeral/memorial service will be announced at a future date when it will be possible to gather the family.

Written memorials and tributes are welcomed and encouraged at www.Kyperfuneralhome.com

In lieu of flowers, it is suggested that donations can be made to the St. Jude Hospital. At www.stjude.org