Roll Call Tribute

Published in Dallas Morning News from Sept. 20 to Sept. 27, 2015

William Graham(1931 - 2015)
GRAHAM, William R. "Bob" Passed away in his home on September 18, 2015. He was 84 years old. Bob was born in San Antonio, Tx. on June 19, 1931, to Carl H. and Mabel Hart Graham. As a child he lived in San Antonio, Houston and Cuernavaca, Mexico, but grew up primarily in Lakewood, attending Dallas Country Day, Wm. Lipscomb Elem., J.L. Long Jr.HS and Woodrow Wilson HS. After graduating from Woodrow in 1948 he matriculated at Texas A&M. He served in the Corps of Cadets (ROTC) throughout college, graduating with a degree in Business Administration in 1952. Upon graduation, Bob enlisted in the US Army, serving in the occupation army in Berlin, Germany. Upon discharge from the service Bob returned to Dallas where he served in the Army Reserve for six years and joined his father in running two family-owned businesses, Graham Steel Structures and The Coachette Company. Graham Steel manufactured metal buildings, barns and small warehouses, and provided structural steel for larger projects. One of the largest was the Dallas Apparel Mart for legendary Dallas developer Trammel Crow, featuring one of the longest structural steel spans in the world at the time. Coachette Company made intra-city transit buses for smaller cities, school buses and the Coachette Motor Home (or RV), which were among the most innovative RVs on the market at the time. The Graham family of five vacationed in comfort throughout Texas and beyond in Coachettes. After selling Coachette and Graham Steel in 1970, Bob went to work in Continental Trailways' corporate headquarters in Dallas. In 1974, Bob joined Trailways' sister company, Eagle International Inc. as the General Manager for the construction and operation of a plant in Brownsville, Texas that manufactured Eagle Buses. In addition to manufacturing buses for Trailways, the plant manufactured shells that were customized by entertainers and corporate executives for use in touring and corporate events. Jimmy Buffett was one of Eagle's first customers. The lingering effects of the 1973 energy crisis, which dramatically increased the price of gasoline, led Eagle International to close the Brownsville plant and consolidate manufacturing overseas. Although the market for interstate transit buses collapsed, there was still a market for customized buses like the one sold to Buffett, and Bob joined US Coachworks building custom buses for this market. The company's courting of Willie Nelson was unrequited, but Hank Williams Jr. was a proud customer, along with other entertainers and corporations. The market for customized buses was also sensitive to oil prices so Bob figured that if he couldn't beat the oil business, he should join it, making a midlife career change to become the General Manager of Buckley Oil Company. Buckley is a Dallas-based family-owned business selling petroleum-based solvents and chemicals, lubricants and base oils. Shortly after joining Buckley, Bob helped facilitate the sale of the company to its current owner, R.E. Dodson. Bob retired from Buckley at the age of 79. Bob's hobbies included reading, travel and doting on his grand-children. He was a 50-year Mason and Shriner. After retirement he volunteered at Medical City, Dallas, where he was working almost to the day he was admitted there for treatment. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Tommy Stone Graham; son Geoff of Dallas, retired international energy attorney, and his wife Paula; daughter Gayle Graham-McFall of San Antonio, retired financial services executive, and her husband John McFall; and son Gregory of Dallas, partner in the Dallas law firm of Black, Mann and Graham, and his wife Nikole; grandson Hunter McFall of San Antonio, granddaughter Caitlin Graham of Austin, granddaughter Nicole Hillin Chasteen and Bob's beaming great-granddaughter Maverick Rae Chasteen of Oklahoma City, Okla., in addition to many beloved nieces and nephews. Bob was preceded in death by his sister, Carlann Apple of Memphis, Tn. and Dallas, grandson Justin Hillin of Plano and granddaughter Ralita Sitio of Dallas and Sumatra, Indonesia. Bob will be interred at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery. A memorial service to honor Bob will be held at the Forum on Park Lane, 7831 Park Ln., Dallas, on Saturday, October 3, 2015 at 1:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you honor Bob's memory by working tirelessly and being kind to everyone you meet. That's what Bob did.