Oct 23, 2018

On Saturday, October 20, 2018, Richard “Dick” Graham, 83, the beloved husband of Shirley McHugh Graham, passed.

He is survived by children Stephen (Andrea Comunale) of Marlton, N.J., Richard Jr. of Somerdale, N.J., Timothy (Patricia) of Sicklerville, N.J., Suzanne Graham-Hunt of Glendora, N.J., and LuAnne (Ken) Carmack of Barrington, N.J.; 11 grandchildren; a great-granddaughter; and many loving nieces and nephews.

Richard served in the U.S. Army National Guard.

He was a former instrumental music director and later served as substitute teacher at Overbrook High School in Pine Hill, N.J.

During his long career in music education, he won numerous awards with his marching and jazz bands. Richard took his award-winning marching bands to Disney World to perform in the Magic Kingdom Parade for more than 10 years. In the early 1970s, New Jersey began to form its own chapter of National Association for Jazz Education. Richard helped organize its formation and eventually became its first member. He later was elected to the state board as secretary.

In 1990, he won the Outstanding Jazz Educator Award and, in 2003, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award, both from National Association for Jazz Education. He was the only educator to receive an honorary life membership in the organization. After retiring from teaching, he became the New Jersey State Jazz Festival chair. The New Jersey Association for Jazz Education named the Richard A. Graham Sight Reading Award, to pay tribute to him and to the fact his band consistently won the sight reading award. Richard was twice named winner of the New Jersey Jazz Education Achievement Award.

Throughout the 1980s, Richard led the Overbrook High School jazz band to numerous state championships in the New Jersey State Jazz Festival, as well as being a finalist in the Berklee College of Music High School Jazz Band Festival, the largest one-day high school jazz festival in the world. He won the Distinguished Educator award from New Jersey Music Educators Association in 2015.

Richard was a member of Clementon Lions and was coordinator of Leo Club at Overbrook High School.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend his viewing from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday and 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Monday, October 29, in Ora L. Wooster Funeral Home, 51 Park Boulevard, Clementon, NJ 08021. A funeral procession will pass Overbrook High School at 10:25 a.m., before proceeding to the church. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Monday morning in Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, St. Lawrence Church, 135 North White Horse Pike, Lindenwold, NJ 08021.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to Overbrook Music Boosters Association, 1003 Turnerville Road, Pine Hill, NJ 08021, Attention: Debbie Piccirillo.

To share memories, visit www.OraLWoosterFuneralHome.com.