Jim Graham to lie in state at Wilson Building on June 23
Details of plans for a memorial service or other ceremony have not yet been released
The body of former Councilmember Jim Graham will lie in state at the Wilson Building on Friday, June 23, according to Nyasha Smith, the Secretary of the D.C. Council.
Smith says the viewing hours will be from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on that day. She adds that Graham’s family and friends have the option of deciding whether there will be a small ceremony, reading or other memorial service, in addition to a public viewing. But she has not received confirmation from them about their plans.
Smith says she’ll release more details about funeral or memorial services as they become available.
Following the death of former Mayor and Councilmember Marion Barry (D-Ward 8), Barry’s family opted for a brief ceremony at the Wilson Building prior to the public viewing, which lasted from 9 a.m. to midnight on Dec. 4, 2014, and then from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Dec. 5, 2014.
Graham, who was one of only two openly gay men to serve on the Council, served four terms as the Ward 1 Councilmember from 1999 to 2015. He also previously served as the executive director of the renowned Whitman-Walker Clinic during the height of the AIDS epidemic. He died at age 71 on Sunday, June 11 at George Washington University Hospital, reportedly following complications from C-Diff, a bacterial intestinal infection.
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
