THOMAS EDWARD "TOM" GRAVES

THOMAS EDWARD "TOM" GRAVES, JR of Norfolk, VA died January 13, 2017 at the age of 92. He served his apprenticeship at Hale Funeral Home in Norfolk before establishing the Graves Funeral Home in 1953 with the help of his family and wife. It was the first establishment ever designed and built to service the African-American community in the area. He remained licensed with the Virginia State Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers, was licensed in the state of North Carolina until 2016 and was active in both local and national levels in the industry for many years. He graduated from the Echols School of Mortuary Science in Philadelphia, PA, where he completed a two year course in one with honors and was subsequently inducted into the honorary fraternity.