AUGUSTA — Mr. Graul was born on May 8, 1940 in the borough of Manhattan, NYC and spent his early years there. His family then moved to Toano, Virgina where he spent his middle school years, and then to Long Island where he was a 1958 graduate of Hicksville High School, Hicksville, NY. He went on to serve in the U.S. Navy for the next 20 years.

While stationed in the Philippines during the Vietnam War, he met and married his wife of 49 years, Linda Villamor.

He was an intelligence and surveillance air crewman of the Patrol Squadron 10 (VP-10) Red Lancers, based out of Jacksonville, FL. This squadron is one of the original and oldest squadrons of the U.S. Navy. He was stationed at BNAS Maine in the early ’70s and enjoyed Maine so much that he moved back after retiring from the USN at NAS PAX River, Maryland in 1978. He then worked the next 20+ years as a rural mail carrier for the United States Post Office in Freeport and Sabattus.

Mr. Graul was a member of the US Naval Cryptologic Veterans Association (NCVA-NE), the Rural Mail Carriers Association, and the American Philatelic Society. Since childhood, he was an avid collector of both military and philatelic memorabilia.

He was predeceased by his beloved parents, Frederick C. and Vivian L. (Brown) Graul of New York and Lisbon Falls, ME.

Of his immediate family, he leaves behind his wife, Linda of Lisbon Falls; two adult step-daughters, Charlina Cecena of California, and Aurora Cecena-Crespo and her husband Orlando of New York; two adult children, Sandra V. Graul- McEachern of Lisbon Falls, and Donald R. Graul and his wife Sandy of Sabattus; 9 grandchildren: Kaylee, Jayna, Taylor, Adam, Chase, Anthony, Felicia, Holly and Michael, and 2 immediate great-grandchildren, Riley and Cameron.

In recent years, Mr. Graul and his family’s life was greatly impacted by Lewy Body Dementia disease. The Graul family would like to specifically thank the team of caregivers at St. Mary’s Memory Care Clinic, Androscoggin Home Health & Hospice, and the VA Togus Springs Hospice Program for the wonderful and loving guidance and care they have provided to Mr. Graul and his family.

Friends and family are invited to share their memories and offer their condolences by visiting Richard’s online guestbook at www.crosmanfuneralhome.com.

Visiting hours will be held at Crosman Funeral Home on Thursday, November 30, 2017 from 1pm to 4pm. Mr. Graul will be interred, during a private ceremony, at the Maine Veteran’s Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers or condolence gifts, the family requests direct donations be given to: the Hospice Unit at Togus VA Medical Center, Augusta, Maine at https://www.facebook.com/VAMaine/posts/61962315807 1170 ; Androscoggin Home Health and Hospice at http://ahch.org/Ways-to- Give, or support ongoing LBD research in the U.S. at https://www.lbda.org or in the U.K. at http://www.lewybody.org/.

A service of Crosman Funeral, Cremation and Monument Services, 40 Main St., Lisbon Falls.