09/06/2026
For Jon, my son.
Others have written beautifully about Jon Graham this summer: the son-in-law, the business owner, the friend who could talk to anyone. Every word is true.
But I knew him first. I held him in Thompson, Manitoba, on August 20, 1981, and from the start he was busy. A smiling boy with a quick, funny mind and a heart that would drop everything to help.
His favourite place was the sandbox with his Tonka trucks. Years later, the first thing he bought for his company Jon Graham was heavy equipment, and he slept in his truck to afford each piece. The confidence to make the deal, the humility to sleep in the truck. Some things are set early.
At 10 he signed himself up as a newspaper carrier and forgot to tell his mother. At 20, in a university lecture hall, he told me he was losing money every day by not starting his business yet. He wasn’t being difficult. He was already out ahead of us, the way he always was.
He grew into a man I was proud of. Husband to Jayme for 19 years. Father to Jaxxon and Myah, whom he adored beyond measure. Founder and president of Lakefront Restorers, built from nerve, grit and hard work. He took his kids to serve at an orphanage in Africa because he wanted them to truly see people. He made friends on job sites, at church, and on the Abbey Grind.
He never lost the boy in him. Ask anyone who met Jon, even for a moment. They’ll tell you.
On June 30, 2026, he was taken from us, and there are no words for the grief.
Matt, Dana and I are grieving together with his grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins, and holding Jayme and the children in our hearts. To everyone who has called, written, or simply thought of us: thank you. We feel it.
A celebration of Jon’s life will be held Monday, September 21 at 11am, Southside Church, Chilliwack.
I will love you forever, Jon. You were my son first, and you always will be in my ❤️
Love you, Mom