It's been 12 years since you passed into eternity. So many things have happened during this time. Your grandchildren are growing up and many of them have children of their own. What an amazing legacy you have left on earth! We think of you often, and I find myself telling fond stories about you to my own kids. We gathered tonight with mom at a restaurant to celebrate your life, and express our gratitude for all the years we had you in our lives. Earlier today, as I was thinking of you, I read one of your favorite poems: "If" by Rudyard Kipling. You gave me a card which contained that poem, on my 16th birthday. You and mom wrote in the card that this poem represented a glimpse of what you thought I could be. To this day, I take that poem out during hard times on the job, or personal life, and re-reading it always gives me strength. I remember how sometimes when you would recite poetry, your voice would break with emotion. I remember this happening when you read us "In School Days" by Whittier and it made an impression upon me at the time. Love, Life, and people matter. In your own way, you were countering nihilism! I was too young to understand this, of course, but the lesson was there and eventually it sunk in. Thank you for introducing wonderful poems and stories into our lives Dad. And think you for living out your beliefs in your every day life. You practiced the wonderful things in the poems and other stories you shared with us. This is all part of why we love you the way we do, and why you will be forever missed.

Dearest Bill, On this day 12 years ago we kissed goodbye, with our family all around and bid you farewell, "til we meet again." I love you my darling and thank you again as I always do, for the gift of your love, your wisdom and just you. We had a great great 48 years Bill on this earth, as much and more than many do have.... Love to you until, as St. Thomas More famously said, "we meet merrily in heaven." 

Happy Birthday Dad! You entered this world 105 years ago today. What an amazing time you spent here on earth. I remember when I was about 21, I finally came to understand some of the challenges of your life, and I was so proud to be your son. You overcame losing your father at the age of 11. You worked your way through college, served in the Army during WWII and Korea, and became a lawyer and eventually a judge. You were married to mom for 48 years and you are the father of three children, 15 grandchildren, and now many great grandchildren. Through all these times, you were a devout and loving Catholic man. What a legacy. Today, I recall something that was very unique about you. You had the most unusual preference for how your eggs were cooked, something called: "up and basted." Every time we went out for breakfast (which we did pretty often) the server would ask how do you want your eggs? You'd pause for a moment and say, "Up and basted?" 99 times out of 100 the server would say, "I don't know what that means?" You would then describe it to them and add, "Just tell the chef. He or she might know." 10 minutes later out came your eggs and I'd always ask, "Did they get it right?" Your answer would often vary: "Not really," or "No," or "Almost." I think once or twice you said, "Oh, they got it right." But, here is the point. You always tried. And you were never in the least bit upset (visibly) when they didn't get it right the vast majority of the time. I think you were an optimist, and a romantic. You were willing to give it a try, each time, just in case the chef knew how to make, "Up and basted" eggs. We love you dad, and we miss your goodness, wisdom, kindness, and optimism! You are forever missed, and we are forever grateful to God that he gave us someone just like you!

My dearest Bill, On this your birthday, once again I can only marvel at the gift God has given us, of our love for each other, for the Faith that you showed and modeled to me, of all that we have in our beloved children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, vocations of Fr. Steve and Fr. Andrew, and dear friends. I love you forever, Bill!!!!!! 

Dad: I'm here for the first time. Your daughter, Laura. I don't think I wanted to visit before because I was afraid of feeling too sad.  But I want to thank you for being such a great Dad: for being, besides my husband Daniel, the love of my life. For giving me the Catholic Faith: for so faithfully praying for your family, for your friends, for the Church, for the Word all those rosaries, right till the end when I am convinced that Mary came through the Eastern Window of your bedroom and took your soul to Her Son as we all sang "Immaculate Mary." I love you Dad,and I love Mom, and my two brothers, and our family. Pray for me, and I will pray for you. 

Dearest Bill, Tonight was a celebration of our family - your children and your grandchildren who could be there and we loved being together at the lovely dining out place in Winchester. Tom shared with us what he had posted earlier today here on the Forever Missed site. The love, wisdom and faith you shared with us gives us gratitude and strength I love you Bill and long to see you God willing...

Today is the 11 year anniversary of saying goodbye (for now) to our beloved William Francis McGraw. Dad, I really want to see you again and talk to you. I loved talking with you about life, current events, history, politics, the Catholic faith, sports, and literature. I was thinking about you a lot yesterday, on St. Patrick's Day. You were proud of your Irish heritage! I was recalling the last night I spent with you, which was the night of St. Patrick's Day, and although you were not able to speak verbally with me that night, I sat beside your bed and talked to you throughout the night. I was struck at the time by the wisdom I saw in your eyes, and the twinkle of love in them as well. Yesterday, I suddenly remembered that your eyes on that night reminded me of a scene from The Two Towers, when Merry and Pippin first meet Treebeard. This giant person, who looks like a tree, and has seven toes, was something quite unique, and yet the most notable trait about him to Merry and Pippin was his eyes. I went back and looked up the exact wording from the book, and I'm going to post what Tolkien wrote about the encounter here:

"But at the moment, the hobbits noted little but the eyes. These deep eyes were now surveying them, slow and solemn, but very penetrating. They were brown, shot with a green light. Often afterwards Pippin tried to describe his first impression of them. 'One felt as if there was an enormous well behind them, filled up with ages of memory and long, slow, steady thinking; but their surface was sparkling with the present: like sun shimmering on the outer leaves of a vast tree, or on the ripples of a very deep lake. I don't know, but it felt as if something that grew in the ground--asleep, you might say, or just feeling itself as something between root-tip and leaf-tip, between deep earth and sky had suddenly waked up, and was considering you with the same slow care that it had given to its own inside affairs for endless years.' "

Thank you for your wisdom Dad, and thank you for your love. They are gifts you gave to your family, which keep on giving. I hope to be with you one day, and we can have a good laugh about all this! We miss you, but above all, we are simply grateful. Love you Dad!

We are coming close to Christmas and my heart is filled with love and gratitude for you, Bill, and our life together with our children and our grandchildren and now great grandchildren. Bill I love you, forever!

Dear Dad, We celebrated your birthday today with a spaghetti dinner with Mom, Laura, Daniel, and some old friends of yours: Jim and Louise Hunt. It was amazing. The Hunts made the spaghetti. You loved spaghetti and I know you would have loved this meal (especially the company). Fr. Steve called in from the DR and said hello and wished you a Happy Birthday from afar. We all toasted you and recalled fun stories about you. Jim and Louise recalled how you always had a kind word, and were always positive. I loved hearing their recollection of this aspect about you, and pondered the truth of their words. I ended up telling a story about how you were merciful to me, after I was brought home by a neighbor who caught me letting off some bottle rockets rather close to his house. But, as I was driving back home tonight, I began to think about your incredible generosity. Now, I grew up with your generosity all around me. So the only way I was able to realize there was something extra about your generosity was by the way other people around me reacted to it. My friends were always amazed at how you would have little treats for us, candy, ice cream, grapefruit soda (a personal favorite of ours). You and mom also let many people stay in your home, to help them out as they were starting out their adult lives. You frequently put the needs of others ahead of yours. That reminds me, one of your favorite poems was called In School-days by John Greenleaf Whittier. I remember how moved you were by the message of this poem, which is the rarity of selfless love and generosity. Thank you for giving us this rare gift Dad! We love you and we miss you!

Dearest Bill, the love of my life! Happy Birthday Bill! We are celebrating tonight and my heart is filled with gratitude for our life together. Love is forever.

10 years ago today our beloved William Francis McGraw, husband and father, passed into eternity. Tonight, we are going to gather as a family and pray the Rosary for you. We'll have at this gathering your wonderful wife Onalee (our mom), your children, and many of your grandchildren and great grandchildren. It was your son, Fr. Steve's idea. He is in the Dominican Republic, where he helps the poor and the needy. He is a missionary priest. How fitting, since you read us so many stories over the years about missionary priests and their brave and selfless acts of love throughout the world. You were a huge fan of the North American martyrs! And whenever you would start to talk about the tortures they suffered, mom would start to get a bit squeamish. You would calmly say, "Onalee, this is important. We need to remember this, even though it is difficult to talk about." You also loved missionaries like Fr. Damian and Matteo Ricci, the Wise Man of the West. Your devotion and faith helped us and deepened our own faith. Thank you for this gift of passing on the faith to us. We love you dad, and we still miss you. But, just as on the day you died, even though my heart fills with sorrow, I can never stay sad very long, because the gratitude for your life is so strong, that the sadness is overcome, and quickly melts away to joy. Thanks for everything dad!

Bill, it is so hard to believe that ten years have passed since your passing on this very day March 18, 2012. Here is to you, the love of my life!!! Always true, always wise, always knowing what to do in any challenging life situation. Love is forever, Bill and I love you forever.....

Today is our 58th anniversary my dearest Bill. I love you so much and thank you for all the wonderful love and adventure we shared for 48 years on this earth.

Today we celebrated Dad's 103rd birthday. It was a sunny and warm afternoon, and we drove out to Dad's grave with mom. We prayed the Rosary, recited from memory one of his favorite prayers (The Star of Morn), and then we went out to dinner. I love the tradition of continuing to celebrate Dad's birthday, as he is more alive today, than when he was on earth, and I'm quite sure Dad approves of our celebration on his birthday. Dad always put the needs of his family above his own. Although Dad would sometimes lose his temper, he was a very patient man. He would spend hours weeding in the garden, raking leaves, mowing the lawn, and trimming the ivy. When his work was done, he would often be seen reading a book, along with a nice glass of milk with ice in it. He was a peaceful man. Today, when we finished the Rosary we said: "Mary, Queen of Peace, Pray for us!" That was how Dad always finished the Rosary, and to this day, that's how I always finish the Rosary. Dad, thank you for being patient with me. Thank you for setting a good example for us all. Thank you for being a man of God, and a man of peace. We love you and we miss you!!

Dearest Bill, You gave me the happiest 48 years any person would love to have. Tonight your family is celebrating your birthday. Your love keeps me going.

Over the past years I have been praying to Bill. Hearing so much about him from his family gave me reason to believe that he was in many ways a strong and holy man with sacrificial love.

I never met him but truly feel I know him from all the stories and testimonies I’ve heard and read.
I also believe he has in many ways heard my prayers and interceded for me.

Rest in the light of Grace, Bill, and thank you for leaving such a beautiful legacy!

Nine years ago today, Dad passed into eternity. As each year goes by, I think I realize more and more how much Dad helped me and shaped my outlook on life. Dad was not perfect. But he was a very merciful and generous man. He saw each person as an individual soul, with infinite value. He was respectful of others, their freedoms, and their choices. He used to often say: "Life is full of choices." He often said this when someone (like me) made a highly questionable choice. It was his way of gently reminding me, "well, you chose this, so now you have to deal with it." It was a way for him to teach that choices have consequences, and we need to learn from our mistakes. This is not to say, that he did not believe in right and wrong. He had a strong sense of and respect for a moral order. And if you asked Dad point blank, what he thought about something, or asked him for advice, he told you exactly what he thought, and his reasons for his opinions. Dad also had a great imagination, that enabled him to draw from stories from his life, or from literature, which helped to illustrate his points and made them easier to remember. And this is part of why he will be forever missed. Love you Dad!

We celebrated dad’s birthday today! He would have been 102!! We took mom to dinner and we toasted dad!! As we were reminiscing, I thought of J.R.R. Tolkien and how Frodo celebrated Bilbo’s birthday even when many of his neighbors thought it was strange because they believed Bilbo had at that point died. When they asked Frodo about it, he responded: “I don’t think Bilbo is dead.” And then it hit me. We believe that Dad is with God and is very much ALIVE. So we can still celebrate his birthday. We love you dad and we miss you! Thank you for everything.

Fathers Day, 2020, Bill. Laura just was talking with me the other day, you guided our family always, we went through storms and up hills and down into valleys, and always you were for us the greatest husband and the greatest Dad. We love you....

I have been thinking of dad a great deal lately, leading up to today, the 8th anniversary of his passing. Today I recall what a hard working man he was while on this earth. On Saturdays, I loved how dad would get on his blue jeans, a plaid shirt, and an old GREEN jean jacket, and go out in the yard and work. He would mow the lawn, weed the garden, add plants and trees to our landscape, and sweep the driveway. Throughout all these activities, our little dog Bobo would bring him a tennis ball, which he would throw for her with endless patience. These tennis balls became absolutely disgusting over time, as they picked up all kinds of dirt mixed with Bobo's saliva, and in no time, they barely looked like they had ever been a beautiful yellow tennis ball. I was always amazed that dad didn't mind, and would keep throwing the ball for Bobo. He was by far her favorite human on earth, in large part I think because he was her most faithful supporter of this favorite game of hers. Bobo would always listen to dad too, whenever he told her to do anything. She loved dad best. Dad also worked very hard at his job. He was very meticulous and methodical, and took his job responsibilities seriously. He also paid the bills faithfully. I remember seeing him often at night, sitting at the table, reviewing the bills and writing checks. He would then like to relax after dinner and read a book, and would help himself or ask someone to make him a bowl of ice cream or a milk shake. He made the best milkshakes of anyone, and passed this love of ice cream on to us all. He was a man who knew how to work hard, but he also had balance and enjoyed his downtime too. We miss you dad and we love you. Thank you for all you have done for us, and please pray for us as we try to follow in your good footsteps!

Bill, I love you so much! It is said that in grief, the loved one is no longer in our arms, but always in our heart, and that is so true. Eight years ago on this day you departed this earth, yet you are close to me still.

We will be saying some special prayers for Bill and for his family on this day. He was a wonderful friend and I'm sure he and my dear husband, Ken, are keeping an eye on us and praying for us, too.
Love and blessings to the McGraw Family

We still miss you, Br. McGraw!  Please interceded for before His Majesty in these trying times for the Country, which you so loved!

My dearest Bill, how much I love you and how much I miss you, yet we had 48 years together, raised three kids, and now wonderful grandchildren, and great grandchildren are part of your legacy. Happy Birthday to one of the greatest guys who ever walked on this planet!!!

Today is the seven year anniversary of Dad's passing into eternity. I am so grateful that I had such an amazing dad. At times, he was pretty tough on us kids. He challenged us to be the best we could be. But he was also quite compassionate, understanding, and encouraging, when we failed. He wasn't too surprised when we made mistakes. If I seemed to have learned my lesson from my failures, he was often content to let the natural consequences be my teacher. "Did you learn your lesson? Ok. Are you ever going to do anything like that again? Ok." And that was often the end of it. This allowed him to be supportive of me trying to do better next time. He was a kind, loving, and wise dad. I loved looking at the pictures of him on this site today. Something stood out to me. Even though Dad was a fairly "serious" guy, you notice in these pictures, how much joy he had in life. And I was reminded of his laugh. When he thought something was funny, he would have this long strong gasp as if he could barely breath and it was so hearty and infectious, it was like a wave of joy. I miss this wonderful man, but truly more than anything I am grateful and happy to have been blessed to have him in my life for so many years. Thank you dear Lord for the gift of William Francis McGraw!

I have so many good memories of my dad, it is hard to pick which one to talk about today, on the 100 year anniversary of his birth! One thing I am so grateful for is that the last night of his life, I was able to stay up with him as late as possible and basically tell him all of the reasons he had been a good dad to us and had done his job. I remember him looking at me while I told him these things and he had a beautiful look of gratitude and love. He couldn't say anything back really, but he spoke to me with his eyes. Mom was with us too. Eventually, at about 4 a.m. I was so sleepy, but I didn't want to go to bed without someone else also with him so I went and woke Fr. Steve. He came to Dad's side in an instant and took over the vigil with mom, and I went and slept for a few hours. The next morning, Laura came over and the whole family gathered around dad and stayed at his bedside throughout the morning and into the early afternoon. Fr. Steve said Mass at the foot of his bed, and Dad confirmed his profession of Faith during the Mass. It was so beautiful. Later, we prayed the Rosary, and the Divine Mercy Chaplet and sang to him. As we sang Faith of Our Fathers, we could see him mouthing the words. It was one of the most beautiful moments of my life. At the end of that song, he passed into eternity, and we sang Immaculate Mary. God gave us this time with him. And for that, I will be forever grateful. We love you William Francis McGraw . . . we love you Dad.

I may have written a tribute already but I am compelled to write again.
Just a few simple words Onalee
I loved Bill and love you. I miss our three way phone conversations, Bill's wit, and ability to "set us straight". I treasure our time together when we spent a cold dreary day in Niagara Falls with our husbands.
Bill was a light which we so desperately need now in this present darkness.
I can almost hear his words of wisdom now.
I pray for him and to him....what a man of courage, wisdom, and faith!

Six years ago today Dad passed into eternity. We still miss him so very much. One thing that consoles me, I have found is quoting my dad and recalling little stories about him to my kids, One of my favorite sayings of his was when I would say, “Dad, I am bored.” He would then say, with a bit of a twinkle in his eye, “People who are bored, are boring.” I quickly got the message that I needed to figure out something to do on my own, and this usually cured me of my boredom. Another thing I am continuing to appreciate from dad was how he passed on to us his love of reading good books. For the past 20 years I have read to my kids, because that was what dad did for us. And one of my greatest joys has been to read to my kids some of the very same books dad read to me, We love you dad!

The older I get the more aware I become of all the blessings which I have had and continue to have in my life. I am so thankful for all the years which I had with my dear husband and which I continue to have with my family. I am also so thankful for wonderful friends like Bill who was always a source of so much truth, courage and grace.

Louise and I, including our four children who are the same ages as the McGraw's grown children, have many great memories of Bill. We met Bill and family in 1975 when we moved to Northern Virginia. First Friday night Adoration at St. Agnes Church in Arlington was the meeting place for several families whom we met during those years. Our friendship remained strong over the years as we watched our children grow. We recall the cook-out bar-b-ques when Bill made the perfect grilled hamburgers. We give thanks that we have been blessed to have had the company of Bill McGraw. Rest in peace and pray for us!

Pray for me grandpa as I try and follow in your footsteps to a life of virtue rooted in Christ. Through your intersession may my foolish pride be tamed and my heart be filled with God alone. Amen.

Dear Bill, Yes, my dearest Bill, today is your birthday. I love you more today it seems than even I did when we were here on earth together. I miss you, but your folks that are still here are carrying on.

Today is the fifth anniversary of Dad passing into eternity. We had an amazing day today with the entire family attending Mass at Mom's home, and then visiting with Mom. It was so nice to recall little stories about Dad with everyone. It is still amazing to me to recall that somehow, even at the moment of his death, some of us who were present experienced a mysterious joy. This is still a great wonder to me. But I believe God's graces were in great abundence in that hour, and at the moment of his death. Dad had been praying for a happy death, after all, so perhaps I should not be so surprised! Dad was so loving and peaceful. Yes, he sometimes had an Irish temper, but he was truly a peaceful man who taught us to be at peace with God. We love you Dad!

Bill was a blessing to all who knew him. How could we ever forget the wonderful times we had with him and Onalee.
Love, Margaret Whitehead

Dearest Bill ,
Today is your birthday. I remember that you and I did not always pay very much attention to our birthdays. Now with you passed into eternity these 4 years, it seems much more eternally important. Happy birthday my darling, from the wife who loves you more than ever in life. Thank you for the love and life you shared with me for 48 years.

Happy Birthday Dad!!! You were always so generous to everybody and yet you never expected anyone to give you any presents on your birthday. Whenever we asked what you might like for your birthday, you would just say: "Maybe a nice chocolate bar and a big glass of milk with ice in it." When I would try to say that I agreed with you about the chocolate bar, but that I didn't like ice in my milk, you would just cheerfully say: "Well, you don't know what's good." This was a very disarming response and now as a dad myself, I understand what a genius you were when you would say this to me in such a good natured manner. Thank you for always teaching me what was good!!!! Love you!

I remember the kindness and holiness of Bill McGraw and I'm so grateful to have been able to help in a little way to care for him during his last while on earth. He died a happy and holy death and it was a real privilege to be there at his passing into Eternal Life.

Although I never got the chance to meet Mr. McGraw in person I feel that I know him well through the stories that his dear wife, Onalee has told me. Getting to know and befriend mrs. McGraw and the rest of the family has been such a blessing. I am grateful for the legacy he has left .

Four years ago today, at about 2:30 p.m. in the afternoon, Dad passed into eternity. Our entire family was so blessed to be able to be by his side for two days and two nights, leading up to his final moments on earth. As he lay peacefully on his bed, we spoke with him for hours about the wonderful things he had done for his family. In the final minutes we had with him here on earth, we prayed the rosary, the divine mercy chaplet, and sang Faith of Our Fathers to him, as a warm breeze blew through his bedroom window. He was even mouthing the words as we sang this hymn, which was his favorite. His final breath came just as Faith of Our Fathers ended. It was the most beautiful death one could ever imagine. He had always prayed for a happy and holy death, and our Lord had granted his prayer, on the eve of St. Joseph, patron saint of a happy death.

Dear Bill - 52 years ago this day we were married at St. Matthew's Cathedral in Washington DC. You are the love of my life, Bill. Happy Anniversary!!!

On Bill's birthday today, I can only say I feel him as close to me as ever. He will always be the love of my life in this world and hope and joy at being with him in the next world. Bill you have left a wonderful legacy of love and gratitude and you are remembered with joy every day. Your loving wife, Onalee

When Bill was born, someone special came into the world and later, into our lives. We are grateful for his friendship over many years and we are happy to remember him on his special day. We pray for all the McGraws, too.

Thanks so much for including us in your mailing. We loved seeing the photos of Onalee and Bill. Reading Onalee's beautiful tribute to him on Feb. 17 brought tears to our eyes. And we are very grateful for Cardinal Newman's "Prayer for a Happy Death," which we did not know about and which we'll share with friends and family. Thank you, Bill. God grant you everlasting joy.

In just a few weeks it will be the third anniversary of Bill's passing from this earth. on March 18th...2015 ...... I feel his presence and his love as vividly as ever..., remembering when we were standing on the Washington Mall when Pope John Paul II proclaimed, "Human life is forever." I love you, Bill, forever....

A day late, but I just want to remember an incredible man, who even though I never got to meet has left an impact on my life. I know you are at peace, dear Mr. McGraw, so please share some of that peace with us. 
-Shenandoah

We remembered Bill today--how could we forget our wonderful friend-- and said special prayers for him at Mass this morning. We pray for Onalee and all his family every day.
Love and blessings,
Margaret and Ken

Bill - You know what your granddaughter said today? Grandpa knew how to accept help when he had to - Yet - you were your same old wonderful - direct self - Remember when Jason lifted up your wheelchair to go to the sun room - and you said: "This is a wheelchair, not an airplane!" I muss you Bill and I love you forever!!!

I remember the first time I officially met Mr. McGraw at his home; I was struck with the impression that he was a good, patient, humble, man who loved his family very much. This impression was only strengthened when I had the privileged of living with the McGraws for about four months. He struck me as a man of few, but carefully chosen words. Though the death of a loved one is never an easy thing for those left behind, when the dearly departed has lived a life of virtue it is such a consolation to reflect on the legacy he has left behind. Mr. McGraw's legacy is a strong one and will live on in his loving wife, children and grandchildren. One thing that has struck me about the McGraw family is that they don't just sit around and hope for the world to be changed for the better, they actively labor to bring about the change they wish to see. So many people have been touched by the good that this man and his family have done. What a legacy to be proud of. Rest in Peace, Mr.McGraw, I am sure you are interceeding for us before the throne of God.

Just got off the phone with mom on this two year anniversary of dad's passing into eternity. Mom and I shared about an hour or so of great memories. I think about dad every day, and thank God that He blessed me with such a wonderful father. Dad's wisdom and love are gifts that will last for a lifetime. May the soul of William Francis McGraw rest in peace. Tomorrow is the feast of St. Joseph, patron of a happy death. St. Joseph, pray for us!

Bill continues to be a special person in our lives and our memories. We all prayed for him and for his wonderful family today.
Love and blessings,
Margaret and Ken Whitehead