Obituary of Rachael LaShawn Graham

Rachael LaShawn Graham was born on an icy cold winter afternoon in Norwalk, Connecticut on January 6, 1974. Forty-seven years later, in Chatsworth, California she left us in the early morning hours of December 27, 2021. A virtual Celebration of Rachael’s Life will be held on January 21, 2022, at 6pm. The link to join the service is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ggbluwx2HmE

Rachael will be buried in Norwalk, Connecticut with her dad (Rudolph James Graham) sometime in the Spring. Like her dad, Rachael was a fighter. Life was not easy, but she persisted. She lost her dad at a very young age and then was diagnosed with a very rare lung disease at age 13. She fought the side-effects and limitations of that disease throughout her teenage years and graduated from high school in 1993.

In January 2021 Rachael was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer. She committed to fighting the disease with the energy of a prize fighter. Weeks of radiation, and then months of chemo, all with the knowledge that the treatment was palliative and was not a cure. She carried on with no complaints, only compliance. In the end, when the treatment failed, she still fought with dignity, grace, and kindness.

Rachael is survived by her mother, Maureen A Finan, Summerville, SC and a large extended family that includes many aunts, uncles, and cousins in Connecticut, Florida, and South Carolina. She is preceded in death by her father, Rudolph “Rudy” James Graham.

Memorial donations may be made to:
 

The Weingart Center https://www.weingart.org/donate

CaringBridge.org https://www.caringbridge.org/

The family wishes to extend their gratitude to the doctors, nurses and medical staff at City of Hope, Providence Holy Cross in Mission Hills, CA and Olive View Medical Center, Sylmar, CA. Additionally, my deepest heartfelt gratitude for all the friends and family near and far who supported us throughout the past year.