The Rev. John Graf, Jr., a well-known Central Jersey community activist and non-denominational minister, was remembered at a memorial service held Tuesday, March 15, 2016.
SOMERVILLE -- To know the Rev. John Graf, Jr. was to know the true joy of friendship, the Rev. Ronald Pollock told a packed church of friends, family, residents and representatives from non-profit and other community organizations on Tuesday.
Graf, a well known Central Jersey community activist and non-denominational minister, died suddenly on March 6 at home in Bedminster. He was 57.
"I, like you, am deeply saddened by his death," Pollock said at a memorial service held Tuesday at St. John's Episcopal Church in Somerville. He called Graf a generous and spiritual man. "Just since his arrival in heaven, John is already serving on 700 committees."
A funeral Mass was held Saturday in South Plainfield, with a memorial service held Tuesday.
During his more than 30-year career in public relations and fundraising, he raised over $100 million for nonprofit agencies, schools, government programs, cultural arts and historic organizations, and helped raise nearly $20 million as chief executive officer and president of the Somerset County United Way.
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"We believe that persons that live a life of virtue are saints ... Let me tell you, the guy was a saint," said friend Rich Reitman.
Stating that Graf was instrumental in helping Somerset Treatment Services, Director Barbara Schichting said that the word "no" was not in his vocabulary.
State Sen. Christopher "Kip" Bateman (R-Somerset) agreed, adding that there was not a single organization that Graf did not help in some way.
"I think his challenge to us would be to continue in his tradition," Bateman said.
The service was followed by lunch at the church, where guests, including couples Graf had married as an officiant, shared stories of his life and personality. Graf had been president of the Rutgers Cagers Club, a fan club supporting Rutgers Athletics.
"Larger than life is a good way to describe him," said Glenys Manfre of the Rutger's Women's Basketball Club. "He was a huge supporter of the Cagers and I'm here in memory of that. I'll miss his support at the games, and I'll miss his supports as a friend."
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Graf was a 1981 graduate of The American University in Washington, D.C. and earned a number of accolades throughout his career in public relations and fund-raising.
His career also earned him a number of honors, including, in 2009, being named a New Jersey Jefferson Awards recipient, being picked as 2007 Volunteer of the Year by Alternatives, Inc., being chosen as a Paul Harris Fellow by the Somerville and Bridgewater Rotary Club in 2007, named the 2002 Citizen of the Year from the Somerset County Business Partnership and the 2000 Volunteer of the Year from the Somerset County Chamber of Commerce.
In 2009 he was named as a member of Raritan Valley Community College's board of trustees and most recently worked as senior director of development at Resource Center of Somerset, Inc.
In 2011, he lost a bid for the seat held by then state Sen. Michael Doherty (R-23rd). Graf, who had been a longtime Republican, ran as a Democrat. He first joined the Democrat party in 2008 after 23 years as a Republican.
Graf grew up in South Plainfield and came to Somerset County in 1986 as coordinator of community relations for the Somerset County Vocational and Technical Schools. He moved to Raritan Valley Community College in 1989 and spent six years as its director of college and community relations.
From 1995-97 he worked under Gov. Christine Todd Whitman as public information officer for the New Jersey Department of Transportation and chairman of the Governor's Office of Volunteerism and Community Service.
He returned to Somerset County in 1997 as coordinator of the Somerset County Vocational and Technical Schools Foundation. Graf was marketing administrator for the Somerset County Office on Aging in 2004-05 and was named president and chief executive officer of the United Way in April 2005.
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He also sung the national anthem at Somerset Patriots baseball games, Rutgers University men's basketball and women's basketball games, Somerset County Park Commission events and Veterans of Foreign Wars programs.
In 2000, Graf created the Claire & John Graf Family Foundation in memory his mother, which has donated over $200,000 to charities around New Jersey.
Graf was predeceased by his parents, John and Claire Graf, and is survived by his five siblings, Joann Graf, Cathy Russo, Rudy Graf, Jimmy Graf, all of Florida, and twin brother, Robert Graf of South Plainfield, and by his nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Somerset Treatment Services, 118 West End Ave., Somerville, NJ 08876.
Emily Cummins may be reached at ecummins@njadvancemedia.com Follow her on Twitter @EmilyACummins and Facebook.