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Isaac Torrence Graham, Jr., was fondly known as "Sonny". He always said his grandmother, Mama Ida, started calling him Sonny. He was also known as the "Preacher" in his youth because of his zealousness to pray. He was the surviving twin who was born on January 10, 1940, from the union of Corrie Gaston Graham and Isaac Torrence Graham, Sr.
He and older sister, Shirley, were born and raised in Charlotte and were well known in the Beatties Ford Road area where they grew up. He graduated from West Charlotte, HS and attended two years of college at Johnson C. Smith College. During the Civil Rights Movement, he took the non-violent training protesters, but knew that he would not be able to tolerate the racial injustice and insults. Those of us who knew him, understand this well. Therefore, in order to help during this struggle, he drove the protesting students to and from their designated sites for protest.
In 1959, he wed Joan Loretta Acker. This union bore two sons, Isaac Torrence Graham, III and Larry Maurice Graham. After his divorce, he moved to New York City where he married Samaria Netter in 1966. This union bore a daughter, Samaria Ozelle Graham.
As a counselor at Leake and Watts, in Yonkers, he took special interest in the children, bringing them to his home in Manhattan during weekends to give them a family experience. He later became a top selling insurance for New York Insurance Company for several years before he suffered a tragic automobile accident. After several years of rehabilitation, he later worked in the NYC Board of Education as a paraprofessional.
During his years with the NYC Board of Education, he would bring his daughter, Samaria in to give presentations about show business. He was very proud of all his children and would often talk about them to his longtime friends at Showman's Jazz Club in Harlem. His favorite past time was spending time with his family, filming activities for friends and family and just hanging out at Showman's listening to jazz. His friend, Mona and Leo became part of his Showman's family.
After his retirement from the NYC Board of Education he began to suffer many ailments. His son Larry often visited and spent time with his father until it was determined Sonny could no longer live alone. Isaac III and Larry visited him often to assist nieces, Patrice and Dierdre with his care. The other love is Sonny's life was Harlem. He loved being in Harlem and living in NY. Because he wanted to remain in NYC, his niece Patrice Wallace-Moore and husband Lowes brought him to live with her family in Mt. Vernon, where her son Isaiah became his main man and helped whenever possible. During his convalescence, Uncle Sonny was the focus of lots of love and attention lavished heavily on him by his sons, nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and great, great nieces, and nephews. He called them all "rabbithead" or booger" and he called his daughter "Tiger". Subsequently, Uncle Sonny had many nicknames-Uncle Shorty, Uncle Bunny, Wee Doggie and Grandpa to name a few. He never let a person leave without an "I love you, thank you for being my so, niece or nephew." He treasured family values and stressed the importance of taking care of each other which is also why he was taken care of so well. Isaac/Sonny and his sister Shirley had a very strong bond. They talked daily. His big sister was his protector to the e end. Their relationship was as playful as it was strong. They would jokingly call each other Esther and Woody (parody from Sanford and Son. The love they had for each other has passed through generations and continues to strengthen our family to this day. The six children between them are affectionately known as Corrie's Army.
Isaac's twin (Charles), his parents, sister (Shirley) and brother-in-law (Lloyd), all preceded him in his heavenly journey. Isaac leaves to celebrate his life, his children; Isaac Torrence Graham, III(Cynthia), Larry Maurice Graham (Patrice), Samaria Ozella Graham, his nephew Calvin G. Wallace(Patricia), his nieces Patrice Wallace Moore (Lowes) and Dierdre Wallace Hines (Calvin), Felecia Pullen (Arnold) and their children and grandchildren; his sister Lanarda "Nikki" (Scott) Williamson and their son, Brian, as well as Leo Ferguson and Mona and the Showman's family and a host of relatives and friends.
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Grier Funeral Service - Memorial Chapel
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Grier Funeral Service - Memorial Chapel
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