Samuel Curtis Graham

Samuel “Curtis” Graham, 71, died peacefully on January 5, 2020 in Arlington, VA after a 5-year battle with dementia.

Curtis was born on April 24, 1948 in Washington, DC to Samuel and Shirley Graham. The older of two sons, he attended Washington and Lee High School, and graduated in 1966. He married Evelyn Allen in 1968, and the couple had two daughters, Lisa and Angela. Sometime after the two divorced, he met Catherine Pickett, and they were married in 1988. Curtis and Catherine have one daughter together, Caila. For 35 years, Curtis worked as graphic artist in the Planning Office for the Arlington County Government.

In 1990, Curtis and Catherine became members of the Pennsylvania Avenue Seventh-day Adventist Church, in Capitol Heights, MD. They soon accepted leadership roles, and contributed in many ways to excellence in the lives of the church members. In 1996, they moved their membership closer to home, and attended the Community Praise Center in Alexandria, VA where their membership remains.

Curtis had a great love for motorcycles and cars, and was proud to have built his own car with his brother in their back yard on Hall’s Hill. He could immediately tell you the year, make, model, and horsepower of any car he saw on the road! He also had a passion for music and dancing, and had amassed a large record collection that was the envy of any old-school music lover.

Curtis is survived by his wife, Catherine; his daughters, Lisa, Angela (Edward), and Caila; his stepdaughter, Darci (Marcus); his parents, Samuel and Shirley; his brother, Steven; his grandchildren, Leon, Lamont, LeTia, Lorenzo, Makayla, Kiera, Korey, Ryan, and Ava; seven great-grandchildren, and dozens of family and friends