“As his family, we will never forget his love for us,” the family said.
Former senator, Florida Democratic governor and one-time presidential candidate Bob Graham has died at the age of 87, his family announced Tuesday night.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Bob Graham: a visionary leader, dedicated public servant, and most importantly, beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather,” read a statement from the family at X.
The Bob Graham Center for Public Service also confirmed the former senator's death, I am sharing the photo collection His life. Center X released a statement saying, “The Bob Graham Center community is deeply saddened by the death of our beloved founder, former Florida Governor and U.S. Senator Bob Graham. We honor his historic legacy and life of service.”
The son of a state senator who served three terms in the U.S. Senate, Graham “dedicated his life to the betterment of the world around him. Monuments to that devotion are everywhere — the Everglades and other natural treasures he was determined to protect, the colleges and universities he championed with his commitment to higher education, and the intelligence community.” The universal understanding he helped through his work and more.”
Graham's love of nature started early. According to the Bob Graham Public Service Center, he was raised on a cattle and dairy farm in the Everglades.
He attended the University of Florida, then earned a law degree at Harvard, and shortly thereafter began his political career locally, serving in the Florida House of Representatives.
His next political move was to the Florida Governor's House, where he served three terms from 1979-1987.
Graham then moved to Washington, D.C., serving as one of the state's two senators from 1987 to 2005.
After leaving Washington, Graham became a senior fellow at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.
In 2010, then-President Barack Obama appointed him to the National Commission on BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling.
He also chaired the Commission on Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism, according to the Bob Graham Center for Public Service.
“While he valued his opportunities to represent others in public office, the jobs Bob Graham loved most were working alongside everyday Floridians,” his family said in a statement Tuesday.
Being a grandfather is also one of the greatest joys in his life.
“Bob Graham used to tell people that his favorite title was not governor or senator,” the family's statement read. “His grandchildren named him: Doodle. 'When I'm good, they call me Super Doodle,' he liked to say. For 87 years, Bob Graham was very good.”
His family called him “unforgettable”.
“As his family, we will never forget his love for us, his love for Florida, America and the world, and the love shown to him by so many. We thank God for the gift of his life,” their statement concluded.
He is survived by his wife Adele Gauri Graham, four children and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
