Biography
Gary was born on August 23, 1958 in Buffalo, New York, the son of Robert and Helen (Murray) Graf. He received his Bachelors Degree in Engineering from Worcester Poly Tech Institute and Masters in Business Administration from New Hampshire College (now SNHU).
Here is Gary in action during his college days. He played for his school teams at Keene High School and in college at Worchester Polytechnic Institute. Almost always he was by far the best player in his foursome, but he played to enjoy the game not to keep score. His big smile was always present, and a helping hand there when you needed it.
Canterbury Woods, was kind enough to open their course for Gary to play his final rounds in 2002 while they were still growing in the grass. They also hosted a number of outings to fund this scholarship. Even after brain surgery and dealing with chemotherapy he was still playing well, smiling, and offering a helping hand, which is a lesson for us all.
Scholarship History
The fund was founded in March 2003. The first award was made to Paul Levasseur a member of Campbell High School's first graduating class who went on graduate from the University of New Hampshire. A scholarship award of $1,000 has been made every year since. Recipients Brian Tate and Josh Matte have gone on to WPI, which was Gary's alma mater. The scholarship is very proud of all its recipients.
2003 Paul Levasseur, University of New Hampshire
2004 Megan Doane, University of Maine
2005 William Benjamin Towne, Lafayette
2006 Brian Tate, Worchester Polytechnic Inst.
2007 Josh Matte, Worchester Polytechnic Inst.
2008 Nicholas Deschenes, Florida Inst. of Tech.
2009 Phillip Houston, Syracuse University
2010 Evan Ordway, Northeastern University
2011 Omri Flaisher, Worchester Polytechnic Inst.
2012 Travis Manning, Univ. of New Hampshire
2013 Zachary Waggoner, Northeastern University
2014 Markus Rothacker, Univ. of Rochester
2015 Christopher Beauregard, Worchester Polytechnic Inst.
2016 Trevor Rizzo, Worchester Polytechnic Inst.
2017 Bryce Desmarais, Univ. of New Hampshire
The selection of the recipient is made by the facility of the Campbell High School math department, and announced as part of the Senior awards ceremony held at the school. The trustees of the fund have not placed any hard requirements on the selection process, but have asked that the selection be based on the personal characteristics that endeared Gary to so many people. We trust the award will go to a positive, generous student with a deep sense of community, willingness to help people from all walks of life and a passion for the math and sciences.
Gary provided for others before providing for himself. It is the fund's intent to provide today for those who have so early in their lives shown they will provide for others tomorrow.