Betty Graham

IN MEMORIAM
BETTY GRAHAM (1931-2021)
By LuAnn Benton

Betty Graham was born April 26, 1931 in Dayton Ohio where she grew up and graduated from high school. She married and had a daughter, Diane. Later, Betty and her husband divorced and Diane spent equal time with both parents. While living in San Francisco, a clean-cut gentleman knocked on Betty’s door selling encyclopedias. They got to talking and her roommate said she should go out with him. So, she did! Not long after, she and Allen Graham married in 1957. They moved to Reno, where they had a son, John. Believing Reno wasn’t a place to raise a child, they moved to San Diego, where Allen’s parents owned a dairy farm. Allen worked, saving his money so they could start living their dream of owning their own business: designing, building, and selling spec homes.

In the late 60s, Betty spent mornings managing the books for their business. Then she’d go out and work side-by-side with Allen, designing, building, and selling these homes for profit. They’d buy land, start one house, and then move in to finish it. Then they’d buy two pieces of land for two houses, design and start building one so they could move into it, and sell the house they just moved out of. Once the second house they were living in was finished they started the third house, eventually moving in to complete it, and selling the house they just moved out of. John said they lived “on the move” for approximately 12 years until 1980. Betty and Allen’s imaginative and creative sides came through when they designed and built houses around huge rocks that lay where they wanted to build. These rocks literally became a part of their floor plan.

In 1980 they started a new business called the Lake Side Family Arcade in East County. In the late 80s they bought the Sea Coast Inn in Imperial Beach and lived in the entire top floor of the motel. In the early 90s, they bought their dream house on the sands of Imperial Beach, bringing all their years of hard work to fruition. They could now spend their time fixing up the house with both of their artistic talents working together. John said, “two things that really stood out, was when they took mud (used on sheetrock), and formed protruding waves with two swimming dolphins, on the wall between their living room and the kitchen. ”On the second project, he remembers his mom using a saw to cut the shape of a dolphin out of bricks of another color. They then laid bricks on top of the old concrete driveway with the dolphin in the center. John said, “she was always right in the center of everything and knew how to keep it all together.”

He also fondly recalls one of his mother’s earlier hobbies, of making grapes from colored resin using a mold. She made the grapes look real by attaching them to branches, and placing them around the house. They both expanded their artistic talents by joining San Diego Mineral & Gem Society in December of 1995,and became very active by volunteering in the club’s many activities and classes. She was one to step up when help was needed.

Betty learned silver fabrication and casting, and later became an assistant instructor in these same classes under (the late) Gladys Hancock; eventually becoming the instructor. A past student of hers said, “she was my first silver fabrication instructor. She had patience galore and made you feel confident that you could do it. She had a calming aura that made everyone around her enjoy her company, and her humor was so charming, it brought you in like the allure of a mermaid singing a song.” Betty assisted Gladys for a short period with the juniors on Saturdays, and enjoyed learning something new as a student in a faceting class.

For many years, Betty, along with others helped prepare the venue for GemDiego, and helped set up the juniors show case at both GemDiego and the San Diego County Fair. She exhibited her jewelry in a group case put in by the Tuesday Ladies’ Silver Fabrication class at GemDiego, where she also participated as a demonstrator. She enjoyed going on field trips with SDMG’s organized outings as well as taking long distance rock digging trips with her husband and several close friends. Both served on the SDMG Board of Directors from 2000 to 2008 (until Allen’s passing October 8, 2008). For years, Betty has graciously provided a large storage unit in one of her buildings, for SDMG to store donated rock, tools and equipment.

After Allen’s passing, Betty bought a condo, so as to be closer to both her son and SDMG. She eventually stopped going to SDMG and driving due to health issues. From then on, John took her to her appointments and anything else she needed. A friend of Betty said, “John was always there for his mom and was truly a blessing.” Six years ago, Betty and John bought a house together and during subsequent years, she was fortunate enough to accompany John on his business trips to numerous countries.

Betty passed of natural causes on February 3, 2021 at 89.

John had this to say about his mom and dad.

“They were a team; they were ying and yang. It was a unique life they lived together; very special. They created many spectacular pieces of art, from houses to stones. All made with love.”

“Now that they’re together again, I see them in their van, driving to Quartzite!”

No services planned

In lieu of flowers please make donations to San Diego Burn Institute (https://burninstitute.org/donate) or the San Diego Zoo (https://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/support-us/get-involved)