By Scott Brinton and Hector Flores
Graff took part in many sports. In 1949, he began playing in the Eastern Wheelchair Basketball Conference. He spent 49 years in the league. For 40 of them, he was named to its all-star team. In 1964 and '65, he was voted the league's most valuable player.
Graff also founded the Nassau County Kings, a professional wheelchair basketball team renowned for the educational seminars it holds at numerous local elementary schools. Every year, the Merrick Special Education PTA hosts the Kings in a game against a community team. The event, which Graff helped found, serves as a SEPTA fund-raiser. This year's game was held last Thursday in honor of Graff, who died Sunday, March 6, of cancer. He was 69.
There was a somber tone to the SEPTA game because of Graff's passing. But those who knew him best said he would have wanted the game to go on, and for people to have a good time. Graff relished the annual event, in large part because it was an opportunity for him to interact with children, whom he loved dearly. With his inviting smile and easy-going personality, the father of five was a magnet for young people, who could often be seen asking for his autograph at the SEPTA game.
Eric Strezenec of Merrick, a member of the Kings whom Graff recruited, said the local sports legend gave him hope during his most trying days. Now 39, Strezenec lost his right leg to cancer at age 22. He said of Graff, "He was hope. He was the light when there was darkness."
Bobbie Arnel, former president of the Merrick SEPTA with Beth Josephson, worked closely with Graff to create SEPTA's annual wheelchair basketball game. It started in 1998 in the Levy-Lakeside Elementary School gym, but quickly grew, she said. Eventually it moved to the Merrick Avenue Middle School gym, and then to Calhoun High School.
Arnel said of Graff, "He was very warm, very outgoing. People gravitated to him. The kids all loved him."
Steve Graff, Jack's son, said his father understood the power of positive thinking. "Dad always told me, 'If you feel like things aren't so good in life, go help someone else.'"
Ellen Proszak, a former Merrick SEPTA president, said, "Jack was always in support of our organization. He and the Nassau County Kings have done appearances in our schools to teach students about the great things that people with disabilities are doing and are capable of achieving. We are sorry for his passing."
Professor Jeff Franko, adviser to the student Access Club at Nassau Community College, said, "Jack was always very generous to us. We frequently had games as awareness events, and Jack was always willing to help us coordinate them."
At last week's SEPTA game, Michael Majikas read a statement on behalf of Don Dreyer, commissioner of the Nassau County Office for the Physically Challenged. Dreyer said, "Jack Graff has left behind a legacy that we must always remember."
As a child, Graff attended "regular" classes. In high school, he competed on the swimming and diving team. In diving, he placed third in New York state during his senior year. At the time, he was the state's first "disabled" diving competitor.
At 18, Graff discovered his love of basketball, and he was soon competing in the Eastern Wheelchair Basketball Conference. In addition to basketball, he also took part in wheelchair track and volleyball. In 1988, he was selected to the U.S. Amputee Volleyball Team to represent America in Seoul, South Korea.
In 1984, Graff was inducted into the National Wheelchair Basketball Hall of Fame, whose members were incorporated into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990.
Graff, who retired from the Consolidated Edison Company in New York, also served as president of the Eastern Wheelchair Basketball Conference, and he was a co-founder of the Eastern Amputee Athletic Association.
In addition to Steve, Graff is survived by his wife, Patricia; four other sons, Ken, Michael, Christopher and John Jr.; and eight grandchildren, Peter, Julie, Alexandra, Joseph, Therese, Christina, Liam and Jason.
Funeral services were held at St. Raphael's Roman Catholic Church in East Meadow on March 11. Burial followed at Pinelawn Park Cemetery in Pinelawn. The Charles J. O'Shea Funeral Home in Wantagh directed the arrangements.
Comments about this story? SBrinton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 203.
