The Derrick, August 3, 2007: John Nelson Graff, 82, of Charlottesville, Va., formerly of Knox, died Tuesday, July 31, 2007. Born Aug. 22, 1924, in Knox, he was the son of the late Deverne W. and Marion Peterson Graff. As a young man, he joined the Navy, serving in the Pacific through 1946. Upon completion of his tour of duty, Mr. Graff returned to school and graduated from Penn State with a degree in forestry. Throughout his career he served in Farmville, Tappahannock and Charlottesville, rising to the position of chief of fire management and concluding 41 years of service. He was awarded the highest honor, a Golden Smokey, the Oscar of his profession, which is granted to a chosen few. While in Tappahannock, Mr. Graff spearheaded a movement to build a community pool and start a county baseball league for the youth to enhance the community in which he lived. Mr. Graff was a passionate and avid bird hunter and also an enthusiastic sports fan. He was granted a dream when asked to serve as usher for the UVA Athletic Department, doing that for some 30 years and missing very few games. He also devoured history at every turn and was a serious student of the War Between the States. Through this interest he also began the genealogical search for his own family roots and worked on this project for years. In that effort he began to relate to his family of yesterday, believing that it empowered his story of today to pass along to future generations. Mr. Graff and his beloved wife, Vaughne, were long standing members of Aldersgate United Methodist Church where he sang for many years in the choir. His most cherished roles were that of husband, father and grandfather. Mr. Graff and his wife were married for 55 years and their love was blessed in the gift of their family: son, Dan and wife, Maria, with Carlyn and Jakob; son Andy and wife, Terry, with Maggie and Kelly; daughter Donna and husband, Richard Tadler, with Devon and Conor; and son Johnny and wife, Holly, with Madelyn and Kelsey. He also is survived by a brother, Fred Graff and his wife, Jeanne, of Knox; and a sister, Marjorie Meier and her husband, Merle, of West Melbourne, Fla. His parents and a sister, Barbara Graff, preceded him in death. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. today in the Hill and Wood Funeral Home, 201 North First St., Charlottesville. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Aldersgate United Methodist Church with the Rev. Dr. Bill Jones officiating. Interment will follow at Monticello Memory Gardens in Charlottesville, Va. Memorial contributions may be made to the Trees Virginia in care of the Virginia Department of Forestry, 900 Natural Resources Drive, Suite 800, Charlottesville, Va., 22903. Friends may send condolences to the family at www.hillandwood.com.