James Butler Graham Jr.

In 1969, he met Deborah Wood, who quickly became his high school sweetheart and wife. Shortly after becoming married, she was diagnosed with cancer, and as those who knew him will share, Jim would spend his 20s and early 30s taking exceptional care of her until her death in 1985.

As he would say, in his darkest moments, the good Lord smiled down on him and steered him to First Virginia Bank for a car loan. There, he met Ellen Wilkinson. Jim and Ellen married and remained best friends for 35 years, having two children – Cameron, 34, and Jay, 32. Jim’s family was his greatest joy in life.

Professionally, Jim was the founder and CEO of several successful ventures. He served as President of the Cellular Radio Corporation, founded FaxLand Corporation in 1987 – selling to Danka Industries in 1994, a year after being named the 111th fastest growing privately held business in America by Inc. Magazine, and served as CEO of CyberMark. In 2001, he founded Georgetown Ridge Partners, LLC, managing his family-owned business and real estate interests. Inspired by his daughter, his final entrepreneurial pursuit was in 2013 starting Cameron’s Coffee & Chocolates with Ellen, creating a meaningful place of employment for adults living with intellectual disabilities.

Jim loved sports, humor, and spending time with others. After a college tennis career at Virginia Tech, he discovered golf, becoming an avid golfer. His passion for golf led him to Burning Tree in Bethesda, MD, where he was a member for 28 years and served as President. Consistent with his life of giving back, he also coached dozens of local players in baseball and basketball, and he never missed one of his son’s games.

He will be missed by family, friends, and most anyone who had the opportunity to interact with him. Jim is preceded in death by his parents Louise and James B. Graham, his sister Anne Graham, and his first wife Deborah Graham.

Jim is survived by Ellen, Cameron, Jay and Amanda, and his sister, Mary Graham.

“I am rich beyond my wildest dreams, and it has nothing to do with my balance sheet.” – Jim Graham

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, December 18th, at 10:30 a.m. at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 3513 N Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Cameron's Coffee & Chocolates (https://www.every1canwork.com/donate) or the Children's Oncology Foundation (https://www.thecogfoundation.org/donate.html).