John Austraw "Jack" Graham

John Austraw “Jack” Graham, 90, of Pleasant Unity, passed away peacefully at home Tuesday, January 6, 2026.  He was born June 25, 1935 in Latrobe, a son of the late Albert Clark and Minnie Mae (Austraw) Graham.  Four aspects defined Jack’s life, family, school, farming and travelling.  Jack appreciated his extended families which were of tremendous comfort to him and his mother after the death of his father and especially comforting after the death of his mother.  He most of all adored the family created with his loving, caring, devoted and faithful wife of 52 years, Mary Kathryn (Gray) Graham who bore him four children, Jacquelyn Marie Graham of Port St. Lucie, FL, Jon Albert Graham (Lori Ticherich) of Greensburg, Jennifer Rose Hawk (Ken) of Robinson Township and Jessica Jo Ciufo (Mark) of Wexford.  Jack adored his five grandchildren especially at family gatherings as he liked to give money to each by having them guess which hand held the money.  Playing this guessing game were Kaitlynn Elizabeth and Olivia Rose Hawk, Evelyn Mae Graham and Leo John and Aria Kathryn Ciufo.  After family, school was the next defining aspect of Jack’s life.  He attended Pleasant Unity elementary school and received his high school diploma with Greater Latrobe High School class of 1953.  He then received his B.A. degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1957 and a M.A. from Stanford University in 1971.  He also earned credits from St. Vincent College, WVU and Colorado State University.  Jack began his teaching career in the Goshen Local School District in Midvale, OH in 1959.  After three years in Ohio, he was hired in 1962 at the Hempfield Area High School where he spent the next 37 years teaching primarily American history until retiring in 1999 with a total of 40 years as a classroom teacher.  The third aspect of Jack’s life was his family’s farm which he inherited from his father.  The farm has been in the family name since the early pioneer settlement days and Jack is the proud owner of a sheepskin deed conveying the property from the Penn family bearing the name of John Penn’s attorney.  Jack loved working on the farm, raising beef cattle and selling sweet corn from a roadside stand.  Jack lived his entire life in the homestead built by his grandfather.  The fourth and final aspect defining Jack’s life was travelling.  Upon retiring from teaching in 1999 he bought his first 5th wheel trailer which enabled he and his wife to spend the next 23 winters in Florida and being a college football fanatic, he and his wife enjoyed many fall football trips to Pitt away games.  Jack was also proud to have served in the military from 1958 to 1964, serving in the PA and Ohio National Guards and the U.S. Army Reserves.  Jack is also grateful to the Latrobe Lowes store for providing him with 15 years of part-time employment as a front end cashier.  Jack has been a lifetime member of the Latrobe Methodist Church (now Latrobe Community Ministries) as was his mother, grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins.  As it is Jack’s belief that he came into this world through this church, it is his belief that he leaves this world through this church.  Therefore, a celebration of Jack’s life will be held in Latrobe Community Ministries, 400 Main Street, Latrobe, at 11 AM Friday, January 9, 2026 with The Rev. Paul Wise officiating.  Anyone wishing to make a contribution to Jack’s life, in lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Latrobe Community Ministries Church.  Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 PM Thursday at the LEO M. BACHA FUNERAL HOME, INC., 2072 Route 130, Pleasant Unity.  Please go directly to the church on Friday.  Interment will follow in Unity Cemetery, Unity Township.

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