John "Jack" Henry Graff Sr.

The family of Jack shares this traditional Irish blessing in his memory:

“May the road rise to meet you, May the wind be always at your back, May the sunshine warm upon your face, The rains fall soft upon your fields, And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand”

John “Jack” Henry Graff, Sr., 75, passed away peacefully on May 5, 2026, surrounded by family and friends after a courageous six-month battle with brain cancer.

Born on March 31, 1951, in Medford, Oregon, Jack was adopted at birth by his beloved parents, the late John Adolphus and Junia Emile (Plumb), who gave him what he often described as an idyllic childhood alongside his older sister, Dru, with the loving presence of his dear “Gramma and Bapoo.”

From an early age, Jack lived life with energy, competitiveness, and curiosity. Growing up in Medford, he immersed himself in sports, music, and school activities, including boys band and theater — most notably playing Passepartout in a 1966 production of Around the World in 80 Days, a role that would later feel strangely fitting for the life he would go on to live.

A proud member of Medford High School’s Class of 1969, Jack was known locally as the “golden boy,” a multi-sport varsity letterman and standout athlete in football, basketball, and baseball for the Black Tornadoes. Some of his fondest memories came from playing for the Medford Mustangs, the winningest American Legion baseball program in Oregon history. His athletic talent earned him multiple football and baseball scholarship opportunities from Pac-8 schools, including Stanford, Cal, and Oregon, but Jack chose instead to pursue his dream of professional baseball by signing with the New York Yankees organization out of high school — forfeiting his amateur status, as was the rule at that time.

Before attending spring training, Jack joined the Oregon Army National Guard. He then traveled by train from Oregon to Fort Lauderdale for Yankees spring training, chasing the dream he had worked toward his entire life. When he returned home, he received the difficult news that he had been cut from the team — a disappointment that stayed with him throughout much of his life and marked the end of his competitive athletic career.

Jack earned his undergraduate degree from Southern Oregon University in 1974 before later obtaining his MBA in 1990 from Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management. He built a successful career in the spirits industry, spending nearly two decades with Brown-Forman Beverage Company, where he rose to the level of Vice President and earned numerous awards for his achievements. He was also a contributing member of Toastmasters and Junior Achievement.

His work took him across the world, including business travel throughout Italy, France, Scotland, Ireland, Jamaica, and Mexico. Over the years, he called many places home, including Oregon, Washington, California, Texas, Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, Florida, and most recently Charlotte, North Carolina.

Jack never really did anything halfway. Whether it was road cycling as a member of the Southern Indiana Wheelmen, coaching youth sports, following his beloved Boston Red Sox (most recent baseball favorite), or diving headfirst into a new hobby, he went all in — usually with the best equipment, endless enthusiasm, and plenty of opinions to go with it. He loved attending live sporting events, spending hours on the phone with his longtime friend Greg “Jonsey” Jones, and enjoying an ice-cold Miller Lite on the back porch. With family and friends, he loved talking sports, life, and engaging in the kind of harmless banter he enjoyed so much.

Jack was preceded in death by his parents, John Adolphus and Junia Emile Graff, his birth parents, Patricia Bahr and Henry “Freddy” Stocking aka Zane Fallon, and a daughter.

More than anything, Jack loved being a father and grandfather. Jack is survived by his former spouses Nancy Anderson, Kevin Mary Lynott, Jennifer Goetzinger, and Stephanie Tong. He also leaves behind his five sons: Tyler Francis (Emilie Bers), Logan Michael (Jessica Barry), John Henry, Jr. (Jillian Caron), Robert Miles, and Patrick Hadley. He is additionally survived by his beloved grandchildren, John “Jack” Henry III, Henderson Nicholas, and Olivia June. He is additionally survived by his sister, Drusilla “Dru” White, as well as his nieces Sarah Beth and Karis Sinclair. 

Later in his life, Jack shared a renewed friendship and connection with his former wife, Jenny, rooted in family, shared history, and their mutual love for their sons and grandchildren. Her support and presence helped create many of the meaningful family moments Jack cherished most during his time in Charlotte.

In recent years, some of Jack’s happiest moments came while living in Charlotte, where he was present for the births of his grandsons, Jack and Henderson. He loved helping care for his grandchildren, picking them up from daycare, eating popcorn and French toast, and spending time simply being “Papa.” He also grew especially close with his daughter-in-law, Jillian, whose kindness, patience, and love for family meant a great deal to him. He was already looking forward to one day serving as an assistant coach for his grandsons’ little league teams.

Life was not always simple, and neither was Jack, but those who knew him understood there was a good heart underneath his strong personality. He was funny, personable, and could talk to just about anyone. While he could be guarded in some areas of life, he had a natural ability to make people feel comfortable around him.

Like many imperfect husbands, fathers, brothers and sons, the relationships within Jack’s family carried seasons of distance, misunderstanding, hurt, love, pride, and connection. In the final chapter of his life, one of Jack’s greatest hopes was that his five sons would grow closer together. He often spoke about wanting stronger connections between his boys and carried a quiet sense that he wished he had done more to help bring everyone together. In the months and days surrounding his passing, those bonds have already begun to strengthen — something that would have meant a great deal to him.

In his later years, Jack grew increasingly close to his Catholic faith and found comfort in God, family, and the people he loved most. He was an active member of Saint Gabriel Catholic Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.

He will be remembered for his stories, his laugh, his competitiveness, his love of sports, his strong personality, and the countless memories he created with the people around him. His family finds peace knowing he is now watching over all of us from the bleachers in the sky —

likely with a strong opinion about the game, a cold Miller Lite nearby, and keeping score the whole time.

Instead of a traditional funeral and visitation, Jack’s final wishes were to be cremated, with his remains spread along the Rogue River near Medford, Oregon, as well as at a little league baseball field — something his sons plan to do together this fall.

A celebration of Jack’s life may be held at a later date, with details to be shared by the family once finalized. If any of Jack’s many friends located across the country would like to be kept in the loop or would like to share their memories with the family, please contact them at thegraffboys@gmail.com. 

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations of any size be made to the Hildegard House www.hildegardhouse.com, where Jack spent his final days alongside his sons and dear friend Helen Taylor. The family is deeply grateful for the kindness, compassion, and dignity shown by the staff, who helped guide him peacefully through his final journey to God.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of John "Jack" Henry Graff Sr., please visit our floral store.