Nancy Jane Kirkland Graham
Nancy Graham passed into God’s gracious hands April 21, 2025. Nancy and her husband, Richard, moved to Santa Barbara 35 years ago with their sons, Matthew and Aaron. Their Santa Barbara legacy began when they purchased Bayshore Chevrolet, which the family later rebranded as Graham Chevrolet. Their success led to the addition of Graham Nissan and the construction of a new dealership facility in 1995 on Hope Avenue–Graham Chevrolet Cadillac SAAB.
Nancy was an oil, pen and ink artist, hiker and desert explorer, volunteer and organizer. She was a busy community activist, while also co-owning and managing the family business. Her early life included 10 years as a Palo Verde College Instructor of Art History and Artistic Design. During that time, she initiated and established a historical museum in Blythe, California. This still flourishes and has provided wonderful cultural history for over 50 years. Nancy also served on several panels for the California Arts Council in Sacramento and as commissioner on the Riverside County Historical Commission. Nancy received 2 Congressional Recognitions from Al McCandless, a U.S. Congressional Representative in Riverside County, and Lois Capps, a U.S. Congressional Representative in Santa Barbara County.
Nancy served on many local non-profit boards including the Unity Shoppe, the Tri Counties Girl Scout Council, and The Santa Barbara and Goleta Chambers of Commerce. She was also instrumental and recognized for securing the funding for the Santa Barbara Sheriff Department’s indoor shooting range. For many years, Nancy chaired the Friends of Goleta Beach Park where she lobbied the County and Coastal Commission to secure and keep open an eroding local resource. Goleta Beach Park continues to serve many residents for free access to this fabulous beach resource.
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Nancy was married to Richard Graham for 56 years. She is survived by two sons, Matt and Aaron (Gretchen), grandchildren Madisyn (Brant), Tabatha, Brody, Ellie, and beautiful 7-month-old great granddaughter, Amora. During Richard and Nancy’s wonderful marriage, they have lived and worked in many different areas; New Orleans, Flagstaff, Arizona, Washington, D.C., Blythe, Santa Maria, and finally settled in Santa Barbara. Nancy and Richard also traveled the world and visited over one hundred countries, where they experienced different cultures and lifestyles.
Nancy felt blessed to have lived 74 amazing years. She always kept a positive attitude and inspired many by her perseverance fighting Parkinson’s Disease despite her declining health over the last 10 years. Any memorial recognition on Nancy’s behalf can be directed to Palo Verde Historical Museum and Society in Blythe, California or the Parkinson’s Association of Santa Barbara.
Nancy’s celebration of life will be held at the Santa Barbara Yacht Club on June 23, 2025. We are limited on space at this venue, so we kindly ask that you please RSVP to ensure you’re on our guest list at
Thank you for your understanding.
