Graham (center in cowboy hat) appears as updated singing cowboy in 2006 Christmas scene.
Graham Weakley, our beloved brother and friend, passed from this life on the night of October 26-27, 2012.
What surprise for all of us in Glendora New Covenant Fellowship!
Graham was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas. He lived in Arkansas and Oklahoma as a child and young man. He completed a B.A. degree in Asian Studies at the University of Oklahoma and received a scholarship that allowed him to study in Korea. In Seoul, South Korea, he studied spoken Korean at Yonsei University’s Korean Language Institute as well as attending the graduate school at Chung-Ang University.
While still in Seoul, South Korea, he taught spoken English at the college and adult levels and also worked as a copy editor and translator. An interest in Oriental arts led to his writing art reviews for some of the leading newspapers and magazines in Seoul and was a prizewinner in poetry in the Korea Times literary translation contest. After returning to the U.S., he worked for several years at the Korea Exchange Bank, taught English at the Yonsei University Language Institute in Los Angeles and translated English subtitles for a popular Korean-English variety show on KSCI TV station and International Channel network nationwide. He also continued doing copy editing and proofreading for Korean publications.
Graham was obviously a very intellectual and accomplished man, a true citizen of the world – more and more becoming a rarity on our divided panet. In the 1960s he responded to the almost pervasive media ministry of Grace Communion International’s early iteration, the Worldwide Church of God, and was baptized in 1972. His love for music now had a marvelous outlet as he not only sang in the local church choir in WCG-Pasadena but got to enjoy selected concerts sponsored by the church at its most famous venue, the Ambassador Auditorium. He began attending in Glendora in the late 1990s. He loved books and music and delighted in worship leading and for the last few years did yeoman service as our piano accompanist for the Celebration hymnal.
Graham (center in cowboy hat) appears as updated singing cowboy in 2006 Christmas scene.Perhaps it was fitting that music teacher and student Jennie Thompson flew all the way from England for his tribute. Jennie even played a special piece she had composed for the occasion.
Beginning in 2006 Graham was an enthusiastic participant in our small congregational plays, memorably filling the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. This can be accessed on our “Pictures” section. He was a pillar of our congregational Book Club whether the text studied was “Huckleberry Finn” or William Barclay’s “Apostles Creed.”
GCI elder and former publisher, Roger Lippross, recalls Graham in these words: “What a fine gentle man he was, humble and unassuming. An intelligent man who was slow to speak, but when he did it was measured with wisdom and knowledge.” He adds, “When I was very sick, he was one who phoned on a regular basis to give me prayerful encouragement.”
Gentleness and humility were the hallmarks of the many compliments received at our Glendora Tribute Service on November 3. Humility to the point that Jerry and Bernice Bemnke of Sylmar did not even know that he played piano after many years singing with him in the Pierce College Choir, an accomplished singing group in the Southland and beyond. The Bemnkes only found about the special service at 9AM that Saturday and moved heaven and earth to get there on time.
Lola-Lee Grisham from Covina praised Graham’s peacefulness, his calming influence. He was one of those unrushed, unhurried and unphased by the pace of modern life, not a prisoner to technology. Pastor Neil Earle called him “a saint for our time” – the opposite to what we often are in our rushed, hurry-scurry world of time delays and temper tantrums.
Al Doshna adds this tribute: “I admired his skills as a pianist and his interest and commitment to spiritual things. I was able to ‘haunt’ his Ebenezer Scrooge as the ghost of Jacob Marley in our church’s production of A Christmas Carol a few years back. After the performance, he referred to me as ‘Maestro,’ which is a compliment I treasure as much as any I’ve received as an actor. However, he was the one who walked off with an award afterwards…”
All of those involved with our almost-weekly luncheons after church services will remember how Graham enjoyed them. He would go to the Fellowship Hall before services and offer to sample dishes in the crock pots. After the luncheons were over, Graham frequently packaged up leftovers to take home. He continually complimented the cooks on their culinary skills, even though some of our skills are quite modest. He always showed appreciation and was never heard to criticize anything.
Graham was a highly intelligent and talented man, yet humble and unassuming. He was a good friend to all, and we will miss him greatly.
Graham’s mother died about 11 years ago, and his younger brother died last year. He is survived by his step-father and sister in Fayetteville, AR.
The best text applying to him are two, said Pastor Neil. Psalm 116:5 which says “precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” Graham was precious to all of us, so how much more to his Creator and Redeemer. Also, Revelation 14:13, “Blessed are the dead who die in the lord, they rest from their labors and their works follow them.” We believe he has gone into the presence of the Living Christ and that we will see him again at the resurrection of the Just, if not before. Graham, you will be missed every service, especially when we look at the piano.
– With reporting by Janet Shay and others.