1952-2018
William Royce “Rick” Graves, D.O., age 65, of Berkeley Springs, W.Va., died on Thursday, April 19, 2018 at his home while under the care of Hospice of the Panhandle.
Born July 29, 1952 in Bartow, Fla., he was the son of the late Billy Hires Graves and Kathy McPhearson Graves Beck and Robert L. Beck, Sr.
He was a Christian. Dr. Graves graduated from high school in Bartow, Fla., earned an Associate Degree from Lord Fairfax Community College in Middletown, Va., attended Shepherd University in Shepherdstown from 1982-1985 and graduated from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg, W.Va., in 1990. He served with the U.S. Air Force, Detachment 14, 39th Air Rescue & Recovery Wing from 1970-1975, was stationed in Reykjavik, Iceland, and was awarded seven “Winged S” for participation in seven life-saving missions. He was a member of the National Rifle Association. He was an accomplished photographer and published a portfolio for National Geographic in 1982.
Dr. Graves began working in the Urgent Care Center at Morgan County War Memorial Hospital until he established his own family practice. He was a Board-Certified Physician. He served as Morgan County’s Public Health Officer from 1993-2000, served one term as President of the Medical Staff of Morgan County War Memorial Hospital and had served as the Director of the Morgan County Rescue Service. Rick was a member of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine Alumni Association. Being very active in community and civic affairs, he was on the task force for the Mountaineer Community Health Care Center in Paw Paw and for the Morgan County Boys’ and Girls’ Club. He was one of the co-founders and lead guitarist of the band “On Call.”
Surviving are his wife of 39 years, Cheryl Lane Boyer Graves, at home; his mother-in-law, Wanda C. Pettit of Ft. Valley, Va.; sister-in-law, Connie Crim and her husband Newton of Winchester, Va.; a niece Brandi Michels of Okinawa, Japan and his devoted and caring friends, Houston Stokes and Christal Mason, of Berkeley Springs.
In addition to his parents and step-father, he was preceded in death by one sister and two brothers.
The family received friends from 3-6 p.m. on Sunday at Helsley-Johnson Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 95 Union Street, Berkeley Springs, W.Va., where the Tri-State Honor Guard provided military honors at 6 p.m.
In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to Hospice of the Panhandle, 330 Hospice Lane, Kearneysville, WV 25430.
Online condolences may be expressed at www. helsleyjohnsonfh.com.
