Big Green's Winning Streak - Nichols School

In Memoriam
Tribute to Robert E. Dillon, Jr. ’49
The great Class of 1949 lost one of its
leaders when Robert E. Dillon, Jr. ’49 passed
away on May 9, 2012. He was 80 years old.
Bob, a former Trustee and Distinguished
Alumnus Award recipient, was a prominent
campaign supporter, an annual Headmasters’
Society level donor and a member of the
William Nichols Society.
The Robert E. Dillon, Jr. ’49 Award,
recognizing extraordinary contributions
to Nichols School by out-of-town alumni,
was established in 1990 in Bob’s name
and awarded to him that year in honor of
his long standing thoughtful, humble and
intelligent commitment to alma mater. Bob
attended nearly all of our Nichols regional
receptions in New York City and was one
of the first non-local alumni to serve on the
Board of Trustees (1982-1988).
Bob was a graduate of Amherst College
and Harvard Business School. After U.S.
Nichols lost an icon when Nelson M.
Graves, Jr. ’44 passed away on Jan. 7, 2012.
One of Nichols’ most accomplished student
athletes, Nelson kept his Big Green spirit
on full display as an alumnus, frequently
supporting Nichols from the sidelines at
various sporting events, especially hockey. A
dear friend of fellow alumnus, Dudley Irwin
’45, Nelson was instrumental in creating
The Dudley M. Irwin III ’45 Award, given
annually to a prominent Nichols junior male
who by virtue of character and leadership,
has assumed prominence in his class. Nelson
remained interested in the career paths of
Irwin Award winners and made an effort
to stay connected with them as an advisor
even after they had graduated from Nichols.
He presented the award on a regular basis at
Upper School Awards Day.
His father, Nelson Graves, Sr., graduated
from Nichols in 1913 and his son, Peter,
graduated in 1976. Another son, Nelson M.
Graves III, attended Nichols from 1964-69.
A veteran of the Navy’s Submarine
Service in World War II, a former president
of the Boys Clubs of Buffalo and a champion
squash player, Nelson later worked as a
docent at Buffalo & Erie County Naval and
Military Park and as a volunteer at Buffalo
Veterans Affairs Medical Center. In 2011,
Army service overseas, he worked for Lake
Erie Engineering, Electro Dynamics, Mobil
and ADT as a financial executive before
joining Sony in 1973, which was the start
of a 23-year career with the
electronics and entertainment
company. He also served on the
UNUM Board of Directors and
as a Trustee of the College of
Mount St. Vincent in New York.
He was notable as a family
man, Roman Catholic and
energetic volunteer in health
care, the arts, education and
community charities, including
the Overlook Medical Center
in Summit, N.J.; the Kessler
Foundation, supporting rehabilitation
research and employment programs for
people with disabilities and the United
Fund of Westfield, N.J. He was also active
Tribute to Nelson M. Graves, Jr. ’44
he accompanied a group of World War II
veterans from Western New York on an
honor flight to Washington, D.C.
Nelson graduated in 1950 from
Dartmouth College, where he played varsity
ice hockey. As playing partners for more
than half a century, Nelson and Dartmouth
Pictured during a visit to Nichols are Nelson’s
daughter in-law, Laurie; his son, Nelson III;
Nelson Graves ’44; and his granddaughter, Claire.
classmate William Dann won the U.S. and
Canadian doubles squash championships
in four age groups, first when they were 40
years old and the latest time at 72. He and
Dann won the U. S. and Canadian national
doubles squash titles eight times. They
claimed the Buffalo City Championship
seven times and were inducted into the
in the Westfield Foundation; Westfield
Senior Citizen Housing; New Jersey
Connect in developing affordable housing
for physically disabled people; The Visual
Arts Center of New Jersey; the
United Way of Bergen County
and the Boy Scouts of Bergen
County.
Bob was honored with
numerous awards recognizing
decades of service and
leadership. Not simply a
parishioner of Holy Trinity
Catholic Church of Westfield,
he served his church in many
volunteer capacities, including
as a Trustee. He was inducted
into the Knights of Malta in 1994. His
personal interests included tennis, jogging,
bridge, music, swimming in Maine and
auditing courses at Princeton University.
Buffalo Squash Racquets Association’s Hall
of Fame in 2000.
Mr. Graves held leadership positions in
banking and leasing and as a stockbroker.
He worked at Wood & Brooks Co., a local
piano key manufacturer, in the 1950s. Later,
he worked in senior positions at M&T Bank,
Toronto-based AES Leasing, Kidder Peabody
and Daley Securities. He formed his own
leasing company and then worked for the
Internal Revenue Service before he retired.
He was a member of the governing board
of Buffalo General Hospital for several years,
a member and former deacon of Westminster
Presbyterian Church, President of the
Buffalo Tennis & Squash Club in 1967, and
a longtime member of the Wilmurt Club in
Hoffmeister, Hamilton County. At various
times, he was a member of the Saturn Club,
the Country Club of Buffalo, the Chatham
Beach and Tennis Club of Chatham, Mass.,
and the Jesters Club, a group of international
sportsmen. An avid conservationist, he
enjoyed fly fishing and upland game hunting
with his Labrador Retrievers.
He moved from Buffalo to the Fox
Run retirement community in late 2010.
Surviving are his wife, Mary Germain
Kenefick Graves; a daughter, Germain; and
two sons, Nelson III and Peter.
50 Nichols School