07/19/2026
the world lost a special one... William Douglas Graham. in his professional career, he was an award winning photo journalist. a devoted father and husband, skilled in so many things, especially knowing what makes a life good. he rode his trusty motorbike from Virginia to my class over 10 years ago, back when it was not uncommon for classes to not fill, so it was just the 3 of us that autumn. look how much joy is visible in our eyes - we all had the best time together that week and even tho I'm not a selfie kinda person, I HAD to take this one.
Over the years since, Doug and I stayed in touch, and we continued to share a lot with each other (including our same birthday!). I went back through all our emails a few weeks ago, reminiscing on the sweet friendship we shared over the last decade. it was my dream to go on a motorbike trip together, but alas...
Doug was diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer last winter and it finally took him from us last week after publicly sharing his self-documented struggle along the way. in those last months, he managed to win big archery competitions, do things he loved, and lived with so much gratitude despite losing nearly half his body weight with the heavy chemo he had to endure. the way Doug lived his life was inspiring, genuine, kind, adventurous, and dignified. ❤️🩹
the ABI website has had a photo of him every year since he came to class, and there it will remain, both a tribute and reminder of a very special life. ✨️
