August 11, 1933 ~ October 26, 2022
Sally G. Graham, 89, longtime resident of Lee’s Summit, MO, died peacefully while sleeping at the John Knox Village Care Center on Wednesday, October 26, 2022. Sally was born August 11, 1933 in Chicago, IL. To Florence (Penwell) and Albert Lewis. Sally married the love of her life, John C. Graham, Sr. on September 17, 1955, in Richmond, MO. John and Sally had nine sons, eighteen grandchildren and fifteen great grandchildren; son Scott (Edie) and their son John Matthew; John, Jr. and children Ryan and Megan; Andy (Nancy) and children Jack, Michael and Katherine; Bruce (Joy) and children Brandon, John and Joe; Brian (Brenda) and children Claire, Lucy and Henry; Doug and children Tiffany and Sara; Don (Luz) and his children Austin and Thomas; David; Michael (Tracy) and his children James and Lily.
Sally was preceded in death by John, her husband of 62 years, her brother Bob and son David, who passed away just three months after John.
Sally is also survived by her younger brother Doug, niece Elizabeth and nephew Bradley.
Sally was born in Chicago and as a youngster moved to Kansas City where she attended Southwest High School. She provided care in the home to her mother who was stricken with MS during Sally’s late adolescence. The demands of care for her mother prevented Sally from attending college. At age 22, she met and married John and they immediately began their family that grew to nine sons. It was during those childbearing years that Sally modeled maternity clothes for Emery, Bird, Thayer department stores. Her early years were dedicated to raising their boys.
Her early years of marriage were spent on the farm. With large gardens, Sally canned, froze and picked much of the annual produce. This was both a bonding experience and a teaching experience for Sally and her sons. Sally was awarded the Missouri PTA Life Membership for her extensive involvement with Lee’s Summit Schools through the years. Sally served the Tigers Athletic Booster club through her son’s athletic careers. In this 50th anniversary year of the passage of Title IX, it is notable Sally did much to promote women’s sports in their infancy at Lee’s Summit High School despite having only sons. Many of those years she was an officer in the club taking on additional responsibilities.
After what many would call a career raising nine children through high school and college graduations, Sally embarked on her second career when she went to work for John Knox Village. After more than two decades at JKV, where she helped place hundreds of people in their retirement homes, she herself retired. Joh Knox Village welcomed her into an independent living apartment in 2013.
A real highlight evening for Sally was her participation in Reflections in Red through her patient relationship with Dr. Tracy Stevens. She met First Lady, Laura Bush and her proactive approach to heart health was profiled at the St. Luke’s Muriel I. Kauffman Women’s Heart Center event.
Sally was a devoted member of the First Presbyterian Church in Lee’s Summit for five decades. She taught Sunday School for many of those early years and regretted that her illness prevented her from attending church regularly in the last years of her life.
The family would like to thank Sally’s doctors, Dr. Regina Aholt, Dr. Tracy Stevens, Dr. Susan Herzberg, Kevin and Matthew Cummings, DDS and Dr. Doug Dehning who provided years of wonderful care, especially in the last few years. Sally and the family especially appreciated the angels that came into her life at John Knox Memory Care and the Care Center in the form of her nurses and nursing aides. They all played very significant roles enhancing and extending her life.
Services are planned for Friday, November 4, 2022, at the First Presbyterian Church in Lee’s Summit. Visitation will be from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., followed immediately by a Celebration of Life in the church. Interment will be at the Lee’s Summit Cemetery where Sally will be laid to rest beside her husband John. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the John Knox Village Care Center in the name of Sally Graham.
Arrangements by Langsford Funeral Home, 15 SW 3rd St., Lee’s Summit, MO 64063
