Tom Graves

Raymond Thomas “Tom” Graves, resident of Hickory Valley, Tennessee, retired general contractor and husband of Toby Graves died Sunday evening, July 22, 2012 at the Baptist Trinity Hospice House in Collierville where he had been a patient for nine days. He was 71 years of age and died following an extended illness.

Services of Remembrance for Mr. Graves were conducted at 2 P.M. Thursday, July 26th at the Peebles West Funeral Chapel at Oakland with Bro. Chris Hodges of the Lakeland First Baptist Church and Bro. Keith Hayworth of the Hickory Valley Baptist Church officiating. Interment followed in the Fayette County Memorial Park Cemetery on Highway 64. Arrangements were provided by Peebles Fayette County Funeral Homes & Cremation Center — West Chapel at Oakland.

Mr. Graves was born November 19, 1940 in Huntersville Community of Madison County, TN, the son of the former Lizzie Mai Lane Graves and the late John Thomas Graves. He received his education in the Shelby County Public School System. He was a graduate of the Messick High School in Memphis and continued his education at Auburn University, receiving his Bachelor of Science Degree in Construction Technology.

Mr. Graves served as President and Owner of Cornerstone Construction Company, Incorporated, which he founded and incorporated in 1981. He was also an active partner of JMP Products, LLC. Mr. Graves was a longtime member of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis prior to moving to the Hickory Valley Community in 2003, where he was a member of the Hickory Valley Baptist Church. He was also a member of the Hardeman County Chapter of the Gideons International.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 50 years, Toby Graves of Hickory Valley; his daughter, Laurie Graves Berry (Shell) of Cordova; three sons, John Graves (Kristy) of Cordova, Paul Graves (Christy) of Somerville, Josh Graves (Cindy) of Somerville; his mother, Mai Graves Krotzer and husband, John  of Cordova; his sister, Frankie Hromada of Germantown; and seven grandchildren, Mary Grace Berry, Payton Graves, Maggie Berry, Conner Graves, Tiffany Graves, McKinley Berry and Tommy Graves.

Those honored to serve as casketbearers were Shell Berry, John Graves, Paul Graves, Josh Graves, Payton Graves, Conner Graves, David McCandless and Tim Hutchison.
Honorary casketbearers were Jimmy Foster, John Crockett, Duane Lax, Michael Hopper, Tim Watkins and Billy Powell.

The family requests that memorials be directed to the Love Worth Finding Ministries, P.O. Box 38300, Memphis, TN 38183-0300, Abiding Above Ministries, P.O. Box 3916, Cordova, TN 38088, the Fayette County Chapter of the Gideons International, P.O. Box 212, Somerville, TN 38068 or the Hardeman County Chapter of the Gideons International, P.O. Box 182, Bolivar, TN 38008.