Born in coastal Hastings, Sussex, England, Graham David McCabe (born: Pierson) was the first of four children from Eileen Mary (Swift) Pierson McCabe. His father Clement William Pierson, was also raised in Hastings and met and married Graham’s mother in 1941. Together, Clement and Mary had two sons and lived in England until 1948.
As a baby, Graham and his mother survived aerial bombardments from Nazi Germans during WWII, thanks to the quick action of a local shopkeeper who pulled them off a sidewalk into a refrigerated meat locker. When they emerged, the neighborhood was in ruins. In more peaceful times, Graham, Mary and his baby brother Simon enjoyed pram strolls along Hastings’ Pier and rocky shores, watching fishing boats pull up their daily catch.
Graham, his brother and parents emigrated to the Southwest Pacific by passenger vessels in 1948, first to Australia and then to New Zealand. Sadly, his father Clement did not survive long after the extended voyage. His mother Mary did however, and later remarried, gaining the surname McCabe. She had two more children, Charles and Sally. In New Zealand, Graham had fond memories of farm life with his three younger siblings.
In 1959, the McCabe family relocated to Whittier, Los Angeles in Southern California, where Graham completed high school and earned a track scholarship to college. A lover of fast cars, fast boats and all things mechanical, Graham saw in his future the opportunity to fly airplanes and chart his own path. So after two years of study, Graham enlisted in officer training school with the U.S. Navy.
From 1963 to 1968, Graham earned his U.S. citizenship and pilot’s wings, rising to the ranks of Lieutenant as a U.S. Naval Aviator and flight instructor with the call sign “Roo”, a nod to his Australian past. He served multiple tours of duty during the Vietnam War as a decorated carrier pilot who lived, worked and flew airplanes with honor from the decks of wartime aircraft carriers, the USS Intrepid and USS Saratoga.
In 1968, Graham met and fell in love with U.S. Navy Nurse, Anne Glaser, while both were stationed and serving from the U.S. Naval Air Station in Pensacola Florida. The rest, as they say, is history. Eight months later, they were married at St. Theresa of Avila Roman Catholic Church in West Roxbury, Boston, where Anne had been raised. He returned to college part-time while working, and completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Northeastern University. He also continued serving in the Naval reserves until 1975.
Graham later applied his Navy work ethic to customer service and operations, then in business development and global service for a variety of engineering and technology companies. He took his family responsibilities seriously, providing for their wants and needs with remarkable resilience, stretching to always give his wife and family more - from vacations homes on Cape Cod, to beautiful cars and cruises at sea.
A dreamer, a builder, a creator of fun, and an anchor for all who loved and depended on him, Graham was a quiet, introverted man who received joy by creating memorable spaces and experiences for his family. Though he never piloted airplanes again, as a father, he found new ways to exercise his engineer’s mind and share his sailor’s heart, building fast Pinewood Derby race cars for Boy Scouts, constructing backyard forts and treehouses, and buying motorboats that allowed his kids to fish, waterski, and experience the exhilaration of summers at sea.
For his children, Graham reliably showed up to sports games and practices, coaching and cheering them on. That loyal, consistent presence started with Pop Warner and tee-ball games, and continued for three sports a year with all three kids. It continued through airport trips, car shopping searches, and new home move-ins. It continued through grandkids’ visits and birthdays. And it continued until his final years and months, supporting his beloved wife Anne at home with their daughter Kim, through Anne’s valiant, many-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Graham was always there with a hand, or advice, or a ride, or a gift to help.
Graham and Anne were blessed with more than half a century of life together in Milford, Harwich Port and finally, Weymouth, Massachusetts. His favorite place among them was his relaxing home on the Cape – in a hammock, in his ‘man cave’, or in his recliner - with his dogs (both named Molly). He loved dinners out with his wife and family, driving with the top down in his shiny convertibles, riding his big lawnmowers, ‘fiddling and diddling’ to fix things in his garage, and maintaining a lush, green yard.
Graham’s spirit and strength will live on in his beautiful wife of 54 years, Anne, and their three appreciative children, Kim, Scott (and wife Tanya), and Steven (and wife Lauren), as well as eight healthy grandchildren who brought much laughter and pride to their golden years: Scott Jr., Graham, James, Finley, Liv and Lila McCabe; and Chase and Griffin McCabe. He is also survived by his adoring younger sister Sally Van Dyke and niece Kelly Van Dyke of Florida, his nieces Noelle Brandaw of Texas and Shannon Sadur of Florida, and his nephew Christopher McCabe of California. And though he was predeceased by his mother Mary and two younger brothers, Simon Michael and Chip McCabe, their collective legacy will continue thriving in their many children and grandchildren.
Graham’s life was a good and long one, lived with courage, dignity and love for nearly 80 years. He will be deeply missed by those who knew him best and counted on him most. A brief military service with honors will be held at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne (Connery Ave, Buzzards Bay, MA) on Wednesday, June 7th at 11:15am, with a lunch reception to follow at Mezze Luna (253 Main Street, Buzzards Bay, MA). Family and friends are welcome to pay respects. In lieu of flowers, anyone wishing to honor Graham’s life and service with a gift to support other veterans of war is invited to offer donations in his memory to the nonprofit Vietnam Veterans of America, or to any of the DDepartment of Veterans’ Affairs medical centers, including Boston’s VA System. We thank you.