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Graziano, John V.

July 3, 1927 –
 May 1, 2014

Obituary

John Victor Graziano, 86, beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle and devoted friend, died at home in Dallas, Texas on May 1, 2014.   Born July 3, 1927, in Brooklyn, New York, he was a paratrooper in the 11th Airborne Division serving in both Japan and the Philippines during World War II.   He had a distinguished 38 year career in public service in security and investigative work, including an appointment by President Ronald Reagan with Senate confirmation to the honorable post of U.S. Department of Agriculture Inspector General from 1981 – 1986.    Earlier, as a result of the catastrophic grain elevator explosions that resulted in the loss of many lives and property valued in the millions, he was detailed as Special Coordinator for Grain Elevator Safety and Security directing all investigations.   In the 1970s, while Chief of the Investigative Division for the Federal Aviation Administrative, he organized, trained and deployed 1500 Sky Marshals to prevent aircraft hijacking.   At the Department of Transportation, he developed and coordinated an action program to protect International and domestic cargoes from theft and pilferage for all modes of transportation.     He taught courses in law enforcement and crime prevention at American University, and the Universities of Georgia, Oklahoma, and Louisville.   He developed courses for the Federal Railroad Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Highway Administration, and the U.S. Coast Guard.   In addition to teaching, he contributed to three books on white collar crime authored by August Bequai.   After retiring, he lived for 20 years in Las Vegas, Nevada where he continued to contribute to the community as a member of the first Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Citizen’s Review Board and the Nevada Bar Committee on Discipline.   He was preceded in death by a son, Mitchell Graziano.   He is survived by his wife of 24 years, Susan Rives of Dallas, Texas; his children:   Patti (Tony) Schmidt of Kings Park, New York, Linda (Robert) Bove of Parlin, New Jersey, David Graziano of Largo, Florida, and Angela Graziano (Jesse Wild) of Arnold, Maryland; six grandchildren: John Walter Graziano, Ryan Schmidt, Taylor Tracy, Lauren Tracy, Christopher Graziano and Noah Graziano; and three great-grandchildren.

The family plans a private memorial service later.

Donations and memorials may be made in his memory to the Independence Fund or Catholic Charities.

Arrangements are under the direction of:
ARIA Cremation Service & Funeral Home
10116 E. NW Highway
Dallas, Texas 75238
214.340.8008

 

    Steve Sanders
    9 May 2014
    9:21am

    Susan,

    My family will remember you and yours in our prayers. Please accept our sincere condolences. I didn’t know John well but he was always a gracious gentleman when our paths crossed and that is not something that can be said of many. When someone I love moves on, I always think about the allegory that the first Christian missionaries gave to the Vikings when they were trying to explain the concept of the soul and life and death. The compared the soul to a sea bird that, quite by accident, flies in the open window of a mead hall where a great feast is going on. Flying among the torches and the flying horns thrown by the revelers, often startled by the screeches of laughter, the bird finds rest among the rafters, from time to time, and then sets off again in flight, seeking escape. Finally, once again by accident, the bird finds the open window and flies free, back into the night sky. So I never think of them as gone, I think of them as free.

    Our thoughts are with you,
    Steve and Melody

    Bonnie Bridgers Saur
    10 May 2014
    1:46pm

    In June 1963 my first job out of high school was at the FAA in the Compliance and Security Division. Mr. Graziano and Mr. Bill Imandt were my bosses. I traveled often with Mr. Graziano to do the confidential secretarial work required during his field investigations. He was a great boss and I worked for him two years before I transferred to the FAA in Washington, D.C. I’m not surprised he had an impressive career. He was very good at his job, and I loved working for him. But I had no idea he lived in Dallas. I’m in Irving. Today is Saturday and I just saw the obit in the Dallas paper. If there is a service for him, I would like to attend if possible.

    Bonnie Bridgers Saur, Irving

    john Walter Graziano 2
    2 Mar 2016
    10:09am

    he was my gran dad i only met him 2 times but he was a great person and a good paratrooper RIP gran dad

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"Nothing prepares you for the grief you go through when losing a child. I called this funeral home at 2:00 am broken and could barely talk. The amount of compassion and empathy they showed me immediately let me know I found the right place to cremate my son. I cannot thank them enough for their professionalism, SINCERE concern, and commitment to making sure my son was honored in the most respectful way. I hope this Funeral home values her as much as my family and I do."
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"Wayne and Staff, thank you for taking care of the arrangements for our mom, Exter McGee and our dad, Philip McGee. You have been great to work with during such a difficult time."
Elledge Family
Elledge Family
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"On behalf of my family, I wanted you to know how much we appreciate your handling of my husband's final arrangements. Wayne Baxter assisted & guided us through the entire process with such care & compassion. Don't know what we would have done without him! Sincerely, Colleen Elledge"
The Peterson Family
The Peterson FamilyYelp! Review - Northwest Highway 5-Stars
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"I can’t say enough about how helpful and professional Dusty Martin, the funeral director at the Aria Cremation location on NW Highway has been. From my initial call, he was kind and informative. My friend died at home while on hospice and she was picked up in about an hour after receiving the call from the hospice nurse. The person who arrived to pick her up was also very professional/respectful and allowed us to take as much time with her as we wished. When I met with Dusty the next day about arrangements, he explained the process and options available without being pushy or trying to “sell” extras. Throughout the process, he kept me informed and, for example, was careful to be certain I understood the cost of the obituary I wanted and offered some options for reducing that cost if I wished. When I stopped by for another reason and started talking about some of the problems I was having with the pictures and media I hoped to use at a memorial lunch I was planning, he not only listened patiently but offered technology advice and let me use his personal media player. I have had experience arranging cremations for four others using two other local companies, and this experience with Dusty at Aria has been by far the best one I have had."
Paula Barnes
Paula BarnesGoogle Review
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"My Daddy’s service and our family experience at Aria Northwest Highway was truly blessed. Funeral Director Dustin Martin is the kind of person that you would like to see on a more regular basis – but in his industry – you hope to not see him that often. That being said – THANK YOU DUSTIN for your unending kindness, compassion and friendship through the process. Meeting you and discussing Dallas History, Find A Grave and my Dad’s lifelong contributions to the great City of Dallas was simply wonderful! In memory of my dad James A. Dodd, Sr. – I want to personally thank you and let you know that you made everything better in that moment. Your calling to “Be There” is spot on. Aria has a one in a million guy in you! Bling Blinky of TEXAS Shout Out: God Bless You!!"
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