Kevin Graham

Kevin Graham, 73, passed away peacefully February 10 after a hard-fought battle with cancer.

Kevin was raised in Spokane, Washington by his mother Beatrice and father Bob, the oldest of their four children. Part of a large extended family, he also spent lots of time with his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

After graduating from North Central High School in Spokane, Kevin went to Washington State University where he majored in Asian Studies/Civilization and was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. He completed his senior year in Taiwan at Fu Jen University Chinese Language Institute.

Kevin lived and worked in Tokyo and Sapporo, Japan for 6 years, where he met Akiko, the mother of four of his kids. They relocated to Seattle in the mid-1980s, and Kevin began a career in freight forwarding.

In 1997, he married his wife Mary Miyaya, and moved to Mercer Island. Their blended family brought him pride and joy. Even after all six of their kids had moved out, Kevin and Mary hosted Sunday dinners, summer barbecues, and holidays, keeping their home a warm, welcoming, joyful place to be together. Kevin had many interests, including working on house projects, gardening, playing golf, watching sports, and spending time with his wife, children, and grandchildren.

When Kevin was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer in late 2021, he stayed optimistic and determined, drawing on years of seeing friends and family members, especially his dad, his father-in-law, and several of his uncles, press on through difficult diagnoses of their own. Working with the dedicated team at the Swedish Cancer Institute, he successfully completed chemotherapy this past summer and returned to many of the activities he loved.

Even as the cancer returned aggressively this winter, Kevin’s mind and spirit stayed strong, and he remained positive. He kept his sense of humor and was unfailingly kind to the doctors, nurses, and hospital staff who treated him.

Kevin is predeceased by his parents, Bob and Bea Graham. He is survived by his wife of 26 years, Mary Miyaya, his children Alicia Teel (Caleb), Natalie Graham, C.J. Stafford, David Graham (Eva), Katerina Graham (Mark), and Keiko Andrews (Jon), and his grandchildren Kenji, Taea, Baker, and Kaiya. Survivors also include his sisters Connie Graham and Rosalie Kimbrell (Bob), his brother Michael Graham (Kathy), and a large extended family.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Swedish Cancer Institute, where Kevin received his treatments and was moved by the compassion of his medical team, or to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

Kevin’s family will hold a celebration of life for him on Saturday, March 25, from 12:30-3:30 p.m. at Jefferson Golf Course in Seattle.