John Fox Graham, a retired insurance executive and avid bay sailor, died Sunday from Parkinson's disease at Stella Maris Hospice in Timonium. He was 84.
Mr. Graham was born in Springfield, Mass., and moved with his family in 1931 to the Pinehurst/Cedarcroft neighborhood.
After graduating from Loyola High School in 1944, he enlisted in the Navy and served in naval air intelliegence at the end of World War II. He was recalled to active duty during the Korean conflict and served aboard the carrier USS Princeton until being discharged in 1953.
Mr. Graham earned a bachelor's degree in 1948 from Princeton University, where he had been a member of Cap and Gown. He was also an honorable mention All American in lacrosse in 1947 and 1948, for playing attack and midfield.
He began his professional career in 1953 as an accident and health specialist at Warfield Dorsey Insurance Co. He later joined the Gilbert A. Dailey Insurance Agency, where he was an underwriter and later promoted to vice president.
In 1967, he co-founded Rock-Graham Insurance with Glen Rock, and in 1977, left to go to work for the Gorges & Co., Maryland Insurance Management Service, and R.J. Wilson Associates, from which he retired.
The former longtime Roland Park resident who had moved to Mercy Ridge retirement community four years ago, had been a longtime competitive Chesapeake Bay sailor. He was a member of the Annapolis Yacht Club and raced both Rainbows and Catalina 27s.
He had been president of Big Brothers of Baltimore and had been a Sunday school teacher at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Mary Our Queen where he was a communicant.
A Mass of Christian burial will be offered at 10 a.m. today at the Roman Catholic Shrine of the Sacred Heart, Smith and Greely avenues, Mount Washington.
Surviving are his wife of 69 years, the former Virginia Gay Batt; three sons, John F. Graham Jr. of Cockeysville, Scott D. Graham of Phoenix, Baltimore County and David G. Graham of Columbia, S.C.; a daughter, Gay G. Wagner of Ruxton; two brothers, William Graham of West Hartford, Conn., and Bob Graham of Tempe, Ariz.; 13 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.