Gary Edgar Graef
Gary Edgar Graef passed away to be with his Lord and Savior on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at the age of 80 in a Sherman, Texas hospital. He was born August 3, 1945, in Austin, Texas to the late Edgar and Gussie Graef of Creedmoor, Texas where Gary spent most of his life.
After graduating from Del Valle High School in 1963 he went on to The University of Texas in Austin and graduated with a Pharmacy degree in 1968. The country boy then decided to brave the big city of Houston, Texas. He took a job at Hermann Hospital in the pharmacy, and that is where he met the love of his life Phyllis Nicolardi who worked in the accounting department. They were married on June 19, 1970, in Pasadena, Texas and blessed with over 49 years of marriage, upon her passing in 2019. In Early 1972, several weeks after their first son was born they moved back to the family farm in Creedmoor. Gary and his brothers worked hard with their Dad farming and ranching year-round. It was the long hot summers that were the hardest and it was a big day when they got their first air-conditioned combine. In 1977 after scaling back farm operations, the family opened Graef Grocery and Hardware. Which they owned and operated for 30 years. It was there that Gary met many customers that became very good friends. It is those friends that he dearly missed after selling the store in 2007. After retiring Gary and Phyllis moved to Canyon Lake, Texas. In 2019 Gary and his youngest son moved to Durant, Oklahoma to be near his oldest son’s cattle operation.
Gary loved God, his family and his friends. Gary and Phyllis were members of the Manchaca Baptist Church and absolutely loved their Sunday school class. After church each and every Sunday the entire family would meet up at his parents’ farm. They would have a large family lunch followed by an afternoon of domino games and fun, until his mother’s passing in 2014. Gary’s other loves were deer hunting, watching the Texas Longhorns football and baseball games as well as watching the Houston Astros. He began deer hunting with his Dad at a very young age, in New Braunfels, Texas with family and friends. Those experiences turned him into a lifetime hunter. He made his last deer hunt this past deer season at the age of 80, in Oklahoma a few days after Thanksgiving. He loved spending time with his boys either hunting or watching ball games.
Gary’s love was big, and his laugh was even bigger. Later in life, Gary battled many hard battles but through it all he still loved, laughed and was one of the kindest, caring people you will ever meet. He has left all that knew him a rich legacy of how to treat others. For that his family is grateful.
Gary is preceded in death by his wife, Phyllis N. Graef, parents, Edgar and Gussie Graef and brother, Ronnie Lee Graef.
Gary is survived by his two sons, Ken and wife Glenna of Olney, Oklahoma and Brian of Durant, Oklahoma, his brother Clifford of Buda, Texas and his sister Pattie Burnett and husband Dale of Driftwood, Texas and their families.
The family would like to thank all of the doctors, nurses and staff that cared for Gary at Alliance Health Medical Center in Durant, Oklahoma and Carrus Hospital and Rehabilitation Center in Sherman, Texas.
A visitation will be held at 1:30pm on Sunday, February 15, 2026, at McCurdy Funeral Home. Funeral services will follow at 2:30pm and burial will follow at Lytton Springs Cemetery.
