Richard Wayne Graves

Richard Wayne “Dick” Graves, of Woodway, Texas, went to  be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ the morning of July 22, 2023. Visitation will be Tuesday, July 25th, from 6 to 8 PM at Grace Gardens Funeral Home, in Woodway. The memorial service is scheduled for Wednesday, July 26 at 1:00 PM at First Baptist Church in Woodway, with Rev. David Harrell officiating. There will be a reception following the service at First Baptist Church Woodway.  There will be a private, family ceremony at Waco Memorial Park.

Dick was born on February 27, 1936, in Texarkana, Texas to Charles Benjamin Graves, Sr. and Lucille Phipps Graves, both of whom preceded him in death. He was also preceded in death by his sister, Leona Ruth Dill, and a brother, Charles  B. Graves, Jr. Dick is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Mary Janice “Jan” Cales, his daughter, Mary Lou Winterrowd  and husband Lance of McGregor, Texas, and son, Richard  Graves, Jr and wife Janet of McKinney, Texas; grandchildren  Benjamin Graves of McKinney, Texas, Faith Brugner and her husband Matt of Dallas, Texas, Zachary Winterrowd and  wife Shayna of Irving, Texas, and Matthew Winterrowd of  Frisco, Texas, three great grandchildren, Madilynn Graves,  Aubree Graves, James Brugner III, and a great granddaughter  Evelynne due in October, along with a number of nieces and  nephews. Also surviving is Wenxue Ma and husband David  and children Sammy and Sophia, of Pearland, Texas.  Wenxue became a part of the family when Dick and Jan hosted her while she attended Baylor, where she received her masters and doctorate degrees. Dick was an active Boy Scout, receiving his Eagle Award, and  the God and Country Award, active in the Order of the  Arrow, serving as an officer for a three-state area.

Dick graduated from Baylor University with a BBA degree in accounting in 1958. It was at Baylor where he met Jan who  also graduated in 1958. They were married on August 30th of  that year. Dick joined the US Army Reserve in 1955 and  served in various units for eight years, serving the last four years as Communications Chief. Upon graduating from  Baylor, Dick joined Northwestern Mutual Life in the Dallas Regional Investment Office. He had a 38-year career with  Northwestern, spending six years in Miami as Regional  Manager of the Southeast and the last 21 years in Dallas as  Regional Manager of the Southwest. He retired from Northwestern in February 1996 and in 1997 they moved to  Waco to enjoy more activities with Baylor.

Dick was ordained as a Deacon in 1962 while in Dallas and  has a served as a Deacon in several Baptist churches and Chairman of the Deacons on many occasions. He has also  served as Bus Captain and Bus Director, Bible Teacher, Adult  Director, Church Treasurer and Outreach Director.

The Graves are current members of First Baptist Church  Woodway. He also served on the boards of several  organizations including Florida Baptist Children’s Home, Mortgage Bankers of Miami, Dade County Master Plan Task  Force and Texans Who Care, where he served as Chairman  for 10 years.

He maintained a close relationship with Baylor University over the years, and he has been a member of the Baylor Bear  Foundation since 1959 and a member of the Athletic  Directors Club. Together with Jan, they received the Milton T. Gregory Distinguished Service Award, he and Jan were  awarded Lady Bear Fans of the Year in 2005, the President of  the Tip Off Club in 2004, served on the Estate Planning Council, Development Council, and Baylor Bear Foundation  Board.

In remembrance of Dick Graves’ life, the family requests memorial gifts be made to the Baylor Bear Foundation Endowed Scholarship Fund, Baylor University, One Bear  Place, Waco,TX 76798-7050, or online at https://bbis.baylor.edu/give. Care Net Pregnancy Center of  Central Texas is another option for memorial giving, and the address is 7110 Sanger Ave, Waco, TX 76712, or online at https://pregnancycare.org/donor/donate/. In either case, please note the gift is in his memory.

Registry for Richard Graves