June Graham retired at the end of the 2017–2018 school year. She has been a teacher and principal at Colville (Wash.) Valley Junior Academy for the last five years.
Her husband, Rob, said it took quite a bit of persuasion to get his wife to a surprise retirement dinner, held June 3, 2018, at Chewelah (Wash.) Church fellowship hall. She didn’t want to crash somebody’s party. When she spotted her sister’s car, Graham realized the gathering was for her.
Many of Graham's students served a buffet Mexican dinner while the younger children made decorations of sunflowers, which are her favorite flower. Larry Marsh, Upper Columbia Conference education superintendent, presented her with a plaque to thank her for many years of service.
Graham has taught in a number of schools in Colorado, California, Oregon and Washington. Most of her teaching has been on the secondary level, although she has taught grades one though nine in Tonasket, Wash. In many of these schools she was also the principal. She has also served in Africa for an additional four years in Rwanda and Uganda.
Graham will be joining her husband in Tonasket upon retirement. For the past 10 years she has served as teacher/principal away from Tonasket, where her husband has a contractor business.
June and Rob Graham
