Laurence Neil Graham

Aug 24, 1934 -

Dec 8, 2025

Laurence N. Graham passed away on Dec. 8, 2025, at the age of 91, at Providence Hospital after a brief bout with cancer. Larry was a longtime resident of Anchorage, arriving in the new state of Alaska with his bride Dahna in 1961. He was born on Aug. 24, 1934, in Fort Collins, Colo., to Eldon and Mary Margaret Graham. He graduated from Brush High School in Colorado in 1952, and from St. Olaf College in Minnesota in 1957, after which he taught high school speech and drama in Eldora, Iowa, for two years. He went on to earn master's degrees in English literature and counseling at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. He married Dahna Dahms in Brush, Colo., on June 19, 1960, before taking a position teaching English and Speech at East High School in Anchorage in 1961. He then worked in the Anchorage School District in many area schools including as Assistant Principal at East and as Principal at Chugiak, Clark, Central, Service, West and Dimond high schools, retiring in 1984. He then went on to serve as Executive Director of the Alaskan Association of Secondary School Principals (AASSP) from 1985 to 1998.

Larry said the greatest blessing he was given was his wife Dahna, who he loved and who loved him passionately, emotionally, spiritually and physically all the 65 years of their marriage. Out of this love they became founders and supporters of Lutheran Marriage Encounter in Alaska and together served on the International Board of Lutheran Marriage Encounter.

His greatest involvement over the years was with his church, Central Lutheran of Anchorage, which he and Dahna joined upon arriving in Alaska in 1961. Over the years he served five separate terms as Church President and was a regular member of the choir, as well as taking roles teaching Sunday school, serving on the Church Council and on the Finance and Stewardship Committees. He started Central's Emergency Cold Weather Shelter for Families and served as its coordinator until a stroke in 2018. He loved Central and the church family he found there.

Larry described his greatest gift of pride as his children, Michael (and wife Julie), Scott (and partner Laurie) and daughter Kayleen; along with his eight grandchildren, Ariel, Mariah, Devon, Grace, Mackenzie, Acadia, Freddy and Duncan; and four great-grandchildren, Luna, Milo, Linnea and Canyon. His love for each of them had no bounds. He stated that his children have given him more pride in the adults they have become and the lives they have lived than he could ever say.

Finally, Larry said his greatest gifts within the community were his years spent in public education as a teacher, a principal and as Executive Director with AASSP. He said that the greatest privilege one can have in life was to help students directly as a teacher, to help teachers work with students as an administrator, and to help principals work with both students and teachers when with AASSP. He saw this work as a calling to work for the betterment of the community. Other roles serving the community included several years as a member of boards of Alaska Festival of Music, Habitat for Humanity, Alaska Professional Teaching Practices Commission, Alaska Chamber Singers and the Central Alaska Retired Teachers Association.

There will be a Celebration of Life service for Laurence Graham on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, at 2 p.m., at Central Lutheran Church in Anchorage. In lieu of flowers, he requested that donations be made to CARTA Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 93610, Anchorage, AK 99509. These are scholarships for Alaskan students pursuing a career in education.