Paul Graffam

Paul Graffam, of Bangor, ME, passed into death on Saturday, July 7.
Born in Brewer, ME, March 24, 1929, Paul was the son of Geraldine and Jack Graffam. He lived in many places as a young boy, though his family settled in Bangor where he attended Fifth Street Junior High School, and, in 1947, graduated from Bangor High School. At Bangor High, Paul was a J.V. basketball player, and the last man cut from the varsity in his senior year.
On March 9, 1950, Paul married Mickey Towle, also of Bangor, and in November of 1952 the two of them moved to Westland Street, which would be their home and center of loving adventures for the next 65 years, 6 months, and 9 days. To all the kids in that neighborhood from 1952 on, Paul was the center of activity, playing touch football in the street and basketball in the driveway and backyard. He loved skiing at Squaw Mountain and Sugarloaf and hiking on Mount Desert Island with Mickey. Not too many people knew the nooks and crannies of that island better than Paul.
Career wise, Paul found a home at Webber Oil Company, starting as a gas-pump attendant in 1950, and moving through several levels of work and responsibility, until his retirement in 1992, as the Executive Vice President. After his retirement, he became a driver for Lynx Transportation Service, stopping that only in the past four years.
Undoubtedly, Paul was one of the most knowledgeable high school basketball fans in Eastern Maine; he may also have been its best historian. He remained an avid fan of the Bangor Rams, attending football, basketball, and cheerleading games and competitions even at times when others stayed home due to the rain or the snow. Paul was also active in the Bangor Jaycee’s, the Bangor High School Booster’s Club, and he served several years on the Board of Directors of the YMCA. For several years he was a member of the Penobscot Valley Country Club and Causeway Club of Southwest Harbor and those same summers Mickey and Paul could be found on the tennis courts and golf courses of the area.
Paul loved life, especially the adventures that he and Mickey created for themselves and their family throughout Maine and around the world. Their FOGS Travel Group was a special collection of friends who adventured together in Europe, the Caribbean, and other places every year. And he always was there to entertain his granddaughters, Shelley, Jill, and Logan, at (Grand)Father-Daughter dances and Christmas Shopping sprees.
Paul was pre-deceased by his wife, Mickey, and a brother, Tom, who was killed in World War II. He is survived by a large and loving family, including his daughter and son-in-law, Cindi and Wes Leighton; his son and daughter-in-law, Ben and Cheryl; his granddaughters and their husbands, Shelley and Dean Heistand, Jill and Nat Clark, Logan and Mark Owens. But the major joy of Paul’s life, especially after the loss of Mickey nearly three years ago, were his seven great grandchildren, Colby, Max, Kamden, Landon, Avery, Brennan and Noah. To them he was Gully and they knew he was capable of making every moment a wonderful time. And Paul took every opportunity to share with those he knew: “I am the Great Grand Father!”
Paul’s family is grateful to the Ellen Leach Home in Brewer for being the warm and welcoming home for Paul this past year.
At Paul’s request there will be no public ceremony, but his family will celebrate his life through a private memorial.