Thomas G DeGraff
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May 31, 1934 - April 20, 2020 |
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Thomas Grayson DeGraff passed away April 20, 2020 in Redmond Washington. He is survived by: Daughter Debra DeGraff Tom was born May 31st, 1934 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota to Pete and Grace DeGraff. From there they ended up in Spokane Washington. Tom graduated from high school, went to Washington State University and ended up joining the Army. He was stationed in San Francisco where he was a sharp shooter. He took his love of guns and shooting throughout his life, teaching his children how to shoot and gun safety at an early age. Tom met the love of his life, Alice Ponke, at drafting school for the Boeing Company in Renton, Washington. He would get distracted by her “long legs and high heels”. They were married November 16th, 1957 and were married for over 61 years. An accomplishment not many couples are able to achieve. Tom started working at a cedar home company called Pan Abode in Renton Washington. He then decided to go out on his own with two other partners. They built a company named International Homes of Cedar based in Maltby Washington. He was the draftsman, engineer, boss and loved that company, providing a wonderful life for his family. Tom enjoyed helping people design and build their own homes. When not working, Tom loved to travel the world with his wife. Whether in the woods stalking the next bull elk to shoot, or cruising through the Panama Canal, they enjoyed it all! He retired in 2000 and joined his wife in their dream home in the small town of Naalehu on the Big Island of Hawaii. They embraced the Hawaiian culture and made many new friends. Tom came back to the mainland in 2016 due to health reasons. He still loved to travel and was able to take multiple road trips with family, albeit from the backseat with his eyes closed and leaning on Scotty. He wanted to see as many National Parks as possible and was able to visit many including Yellowstone, Glacier, Yosemite, The Badlands and Death Valley. We will miss your sense of humor, your big hugs and your smile Dad/Grandpa. We all love you so much. E hiamoe me ka maluhia | |