David Ross Graves

BRUNSWICK – David Ross Graves, 79, passed away on Aug. 2, 2024, after a short illness, at Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick.

He was predeceased by his loving wife, Jill, in January of 2024.

He was born on Jan. 17, 1945, son of Carl and Bumita Graves and was raised in West Bath. He joined the Army at 17 and was stationed in France for most of his enlistment. After returning home, he worked briefly in Maine and then moved to Connecticut, where he worked before enlisting in the Coast Guard. He was stationed at Fort Hamilton, N.Y. until being deployed to a LORAN facility in Port Isabel, Texas. Ending his enlistment there, he enrolled at Texas Southmost College and earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in education.

He was hired by the City of Brownsville to teach high school history, which was a subject of particular interest to him. It was there that he met Jill Davenport, a learning disabilities teacher. They were married in 1980 and split their time between Texas and Maine until they both retired in 2020 to Bowdoinham.

David was an avid reader, particularly of military history, and he and Jill enjoyed visiting family and friends in the area. They both enjoyed dining out, especially by the shore, and visiting farmer’s markets.

He is survived by brothers Michael of Somerset, Mass., Robert of Warwick, R.I., and sister, Linda Bubar of Brunswick. He is also survived by eight nephews and two nieces.

Burial for Jill and David will be at the Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Augusta. A memorial gathering will be held in the spring.