Dr. Richard (“Rick”) Michael McGraw, 74, shed his earthen vessel on Friday, October 15, 2021. His heart knew no stranger, and the depths of his compassion held no bottom. Dr. McGraw’s positive and profound influence will resonate throughout the universe and across dimensions yet-to-be explored.
On January 26, 1947, Rick was born to Richard McGraw and Mary Vara in San Antonio, Texas. The discrimination Rick experienced as a child committed him to embarking upon a lifelong crusade as a champion for the downtrodden and dispossessed, whether their plight was due to the color of their skin, the clothes they wore, or their intellectual capacity (to name a few). Rick’s sense of morality was unshakeable and unrelenting, and all who knew him benefitted from his unparalleled empathy and character. Rick had a quiet, measured way of asking questions that led people to find their own way back to their Path. Rick was a source of wisdom for so many in the communities he touched, and a guiding light for those who knew him.
Rick was also a self-taught, multi-instrumentalist, and it was in Music that he connected to God. Rick’s love of Music began as a child when his mother bought him an accordion. His relationship to and with Music only strengthened into adulthood, as he shared his love for Music with his children. Until the end of his life, Rick was playing several instruments in a local band, finding immeasurable joy in creating and collaborating with friends. The Chicken Farm Art Center in San Angelo was Rick’s gentle harbor, and the friendships he formed with the Chicken Pickers were his salvation in the darkest moments of his life following his son’s passing.
A devout Roman Catholic, Rick’s passion for the Church was reflected in his decades of support to the Catholic Diocese of San Angelo and the Mount Carmel Hermitage in Christoval, Texas.
Rick’s humble beginnings did not slow his hunger for education and scholarship. Rick graduated high school in Killeen, Texas, and then joined the Army. After his service ended, he attended the University of North Texas, where he obtained his Bachelor of Science in Education and graduated magna cum laude. He went on to earn his Master of Science in Gen-Experimental Psychology from UNT, and three years later, his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, also from UNT. During his time in Denton, Texas, he played in the Texas Blizzard, Rick’s beloved band of heathens who became lifelong friends and allies. Rick then served in the United States Air Force, where he earned the rank of Major. Rick met his wife of 35 years, Lee Morrison-McGraw, on internship in Wichita, Kansas. Rick’s service brought him and the One He Loved to Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas, where they started a practice and grew their family, which he held closest to his heart and cherished with every fiber of his being.
Rick is preceded in death by his son, Evan Michael McGraw, and his parents, Richard and Mary Louise McGraw.
Rick is survived by his adoring wife, Lee Morrison-McGraw, whom he lovingly referred to as Lucy, his four beloved children, Caryn McGraw-Turner, Ryan McGraw, Lauren McGraw, and Carissa McGraw-Gardner, his loving siblings, Lily Williams and Robert McGraw, his nine darling grandchildren, Jayden Gardner, Kailyn Gardner, Londyn Gardner, Brendan Faulk, Talon Parker, Ethan Parker, Evan McGraw, Grason McGraw, and Liam McGraw, his dear sons-in-law, Brent Turner and Donald Gardner, cherished extended family, and countless treasured colleagues, friends, and bandmates. Rick was loved by so many because he was so easy to love.
There are those who cannot seem to give, and there are those whose lifeblood is generosity. At his core, Rick was a man of inexhaustible charity. Rick felt and honored in himself a sense of moral obligation to give, whether monetarily, emotionally, intellectually, or spiritually, often at the expense of his own needs. Rick had healing hands.
Rick served in many roles throughout his storied career, including but not limited to: member of the Shannon Hospital Ethics Committee for more than 20 years; President of the Psychological Association of Greater West Texas; Board Member and President of the Texas Psychological Association (TPA); Chair of several TPA Committees, including Political Action, Social Justice, and Integrated Health Care; TPA Representative to American Psychological Association (APA); Chair of the APA Committee on Rural Health; cherished member of the APA Board of Directors; and member of the APA Board of Directors Ethics Subcommittee. Rick’s mentorships and teachings will forever echo in the hearts of those who received them. Rick was awarded for his service in the field of psychology repeatedly, including but not limited to TPA’s Psychologist of the Year Award in 2011 and the TPA Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.
His leadership in elevating the cause of social justice, increasing access to healthcare, and steering the ethical course for so many organizations and individuals across the country are his legacy. May we honor Rick by honoring the Calls of our own hearts, defending the defenseless, and finding the courage to be compassionate and charitable, especially when the task is difficult.
Rick was larger than life. He was a special man to all who knew him, and his family was daily witness to his loving dedication and generous spirit. The iconoclasm of the Seeker and the unconventionality of the Leader were his essence.
A Rosary Service will be held at 6:00 PM on Thursday, October 21, 2021, at Holy Angels Catholic Church. A Funeral Mass will be held at 12:00 PM on Friday, October 22, 2021, at Holy Angels Catholic Church.
“Be still. Look within. It’s still there: The Calling.” – Dr. Richard Michael McGraw
Remembrances can be made to the Mount Carmel Hermitage of Christoval, Texas, located at St. Joseph’s Way, Christoval, Texas 76935. Donations may also be made online at http://www.carmelitehermits.org/don….
Rosary
Thursday, October 21, 2021
6:00PM - 7:30PM
Holy Angels Catholic Church
2309 A & M
San Angelo, TX 76904
Funeral Mass
Friday, October 22, 2021
12:00PM - 1:30PM
Holy Angels Catholic Church
2309 A & M
San Angelo, TX 76904
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