Bruce Clayton Graham “closed” on mortality from complications from non-Hodgkins lymphoma Thursday, April 29, 2021.
Bruce was born on May 20, 1950 to Estella LaVal Clayton and Franklin Wayne Graham in El Paso, Texas. He grew up in the El Paso area and was very proud of his Texan heritage. On the Texas stretch, he worked as a young man repairing fences, riding his horse, and eating beans and tortillas. During his college days, he particularly enjoyed a semester of bull riding.
Bruce graduated from Eastwood High School in May 1968. He later graduated from Newport University with a degree in business administration.
He would say the best date of his life was his first and only blind date agreed by a mutual friend with Annie, the love of his life. They were sealed on June 29, 1972 in the Mesa Arizona Temple of Latter-day Saints Church of Jesus Christ. Together they built a love story and a lovely family, Bruce’s pride and joy.
Bruce joined the U.S. Army in May 1973 and served honorably during the Vietnam War. He was an electronic instrument repairman with the 11th Air Defense Artillery Group in Fort Bliss, Texas.
After three years in the Army, Bruce made a career in electronics, working on projects such as the F-16, A-12, and B-2 airplanes in Fort Worth, Texas and Ogden, Utah. He later worked in Iraq as a military contractor and carried out computer network technology. A special task was to be responsible as project manager for the construction of the communication center in the Iraqi Camp Anaconda. He took pride in serving the country he loved so much, and did so with much personal sacrifice.
He was a lifelong loyal member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and gave generously of his talents and time. His favorite experiences were serving as a service missionary at the Bishop’s Storehouse and Ogden Peach Orchard. He loved the missionaries he was with and drove all-terrain vehicles through the orchard with them or chatted with Mountain Dew during his office breaks.
He is survived by his wife Annie Marie Wharton, brothers Gary (Jeanette) Graham and Leon (Pualani) Graham, and children Keith (Linh) Graham, Christopher (Wendy) Graham, Kimberly (Shane) Stokes and Sean (Jessica) Graham ten grandchildren. Bruce is preceded in death by his parents and younger brother Don (Denise-living) Graham.
Memorial services for Bruce will be held on Friday, May 7, at 11 am at the Ogden Rock Cliff Stake Center (1000 Suncrest Dr. Ogden, UT). The military honor ceremony will take place at 10:45 a.m. There is an option to visit the family from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. before the military honor ceremony. Instead of flowers, the family will ask you to offer a donation to your favorite veterans organization or charity.
Published by Myers Mortuary May 5-6, 2021.
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