Eugene H. Graham

Eugene Hardy (Gene) Graham, age seventy-four, of North Middleton Township and formerly San Diego and Houston, TX, went home to unite with his Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ and all the Heavenly Host at January 20, 2014.
Mr Graham was born March 29, 1939 in Longview, Texas to the late Walter E. and Pauline (Hardy) Graham. He was raised and attended public schools in Jacinto City and Galena Park, on the industrial eastside of Houston, Texas. Gene began working in the family seasonal fireworks retail sales business at age ten years and continued to do so until the business was sold in the '60s. He was a neighborhood paperboy for three years and worked summer jobs through high school until departing for college in 1957.
Gene was a talented singer and was very active in school choirs and church music ministries throughout his life. He was student director of the acapella choirs in jr and senior highschool and elected as Most Talented upon graduation. His other musical activities included singing and playing keyboard in The Plaids male singing group in the late' 50s, and as a keyboardist in a rhythm and blues band The Flames, in the early '60s, in the Houston area. He studied music at Lon Morris College and San Jacinto College in Texas as a young man. In retirement Gene was an accomplished vocalist/keyboardist who derived great pleasure playing and singing jazz, R&B, Blues, Broadway showtunes, C & Wand Church Music .. He looked forward every year to singing in the Martin Luther Jr. Commemorative Choir.
Mr Graham had a forty year career in most phases of the Retail Sales business and a thirty-three year career in the US Marine Corps/U S Marine Corps Reserve. His retail career included many years in the family's seasonal fireworks business on the eastside of Houston; Foleys Department Store in Houston; The Coronado Department Stores in the San Diego, California area; and thirty years as a Retail Manager in several organizations in the Old Town Section of San Diego, including Racine & Laramie Ltd. and Historic Tours of America. His last assignment in the Marine Corps Reserve was as Reserve Counterpart to the Camp Pendleton Marine Base Exchange Officer/Field Exchange Officer, while a member of MWR IMA Detachment(West), USMCR. It was a rare opportunity to combine his civilian and military careers in a "Twilight Cruise" prior to his retirement from the USMCR.
Mr Graham retired from the US Marine Corps Reserve as a Chief Warrant Officer- 4 with thirty-three years service. His periods of active duty included a three year tour in the late '50s; a four year tour in the '60s, that included a year in Vietnam, and, as an Active Marine Reservist on active duty for six months during Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield, serving as a Tank Officer in the 4th Tank Bn Operations and Training Section. Staff Sergeant Graham was a Tank Commander/Platoon Sergeant with Alpha Company, 4th Tank Bn, when he was selected for promotion to Warrant Officer in 1980. He served for twenty-two years as an Active Reservist in various USMCR Units in the Southern California area until his retirement in 1999. His Professional Military Schools include Marine Reserve Officer's Resident. Amphibious (Expeditionary) Warfare School Course, Phase I and II; and Marine Reserve Officer's Resident Command and Staff College Course, Phase I and II; Mr. Graham retired from his last Active Reserve unit at age sixty in 1999, at Camp Pendleton, California.
Mr Graham's civilian education includes an Associate Degree in Marketing (Sales) from San Diego City College in 1974. He was invited to join a National Scholastic Honor Society for his academic achievement at SDCC. Gene transferred to San Diego State University and began his studies in Humanities, completing all upper-division requirements for a AB degree in Philosophy with the remaining portion of his GI Educational Benefits.
Gene's organization affiliations included: The Marine Corps Association; The Marine Corps Reserve Officer's Association, The Marine Reserve Association, The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, and the 1st Marine Division Association. He was a member of Nature's Resource Defense Council, the Environmental Defense Fund, RePower America Now and other environmental, conservation and renewable energy causes. He enjoyed participating in the AARP as a concerned senior and active advocate.
Upon retirement in 2005, Mr Graham, his wife Linda, daughter Amy, and granddaughter Ariel, departed San Diego, California and re-located to Carlisle, Pennsylvania for the purpose of re-uniting with their extended family in the greater Southcentral PA region. They were accompanied by the family cats: Buster, Sophie and Tiger; Angel, their beloved Rottweiler/Doby; and Dancer, Linda's handsome Mustang.Stallion.
In addition to spending most of his time and efforts in retirement with his family, Gene fancied himself an Advocate/Activist. He was an avid reader and spent many enjoyable hours becoming well-informed on current events/issues. He participated in many .social, political and environmental activities on-line and through the print media. Mr Graham enjoyed on-line social networking as a leisure pastime. He has Profiles on Classmates. com, Together We Served- US Marine Corps, Facebook.com and Twitter.
A former competitive runner for many years, Gene became an avid walker and was a familiar sight strolling with his wife Linda, and dog Toby, around the Carlisle Barracks Golf Course; or marching along by himself through downtown Carlisle via the Dickinson College Campus on High Street. Having lived in or close to a big city and the ocean all of his life, it took a while for him to adjust to his new home in Pennsylvania; but by-and-by he learned to really enjoy and appreciate the forest and farmlands, the distinct changing of the Seasons, the history and architecture and, other unique and interesting amenities of the greater Carlisle Area. Gene particularly enjoyed and appreciated the presence of the Carlisle Barracks Army Post, and Dickinson College, having been retired military and a Liberal Arts major at San Diego State University.
Gene loved and was devoted to his God, his Family, Country, different types of music, US Marines, retail sales and mgmt, reading and learning, running and physical fitness, and the family dog and cats. One of his greatest pleasures in life were the 30 years spent working in the Old Town section of San Diego.California. He was a people person and derived great satisfaction interacting with the varied cross-sections of people from the community, business sector and the busy tourist activity. Jesus Christ was his Saviour and Redeemer and the Holy Bible was the foundation and ongoing guidance of his life.
Gene was pre-deceased by his parents, Walter E. and Pauline (Hardy) Graham, and a sister, Jolynn Herlinger Graham. Surviving to celebrate his life are his wife of forty-two years, Linda K. Graham of Carlisle, PA, siblings Walter P and John W. Graham and a sister Margaret A. Julian, all of the Houston, TX area: a son, Matthew H. Graham and wife Amber, of Murrieta, CA; a daughter, Amy J. Graham of Carlisle; Grandchildren, Ariel C. Graham of Carlisle, and Matthew D., Ava K. and Jacob T. H. Graham of Murrieta, CA; and a Great grandchild, Alainah J. Owens of Carlisle.
Funeral arrangements will be at the convenience of the family.
Hoffman-Roth Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc., 219 North Hanover Street, Carlisle is in charge of the funeral arrangements.
Memorial contributions may be made to Celtic Hospice, 220 Wilson Street, Suite 100, Carlisle, PA 17013.