Obit: Paddy Graber (1925-2015)

Subject: Obit: Paddy Graber (1924-2015)
From: Stewart
Date: 28 Dec 15 - 10:36 PM

Paddy Graber died a couple of days ago - about Dec. 26, 2015, at age 91 - in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. He was born in Co. Tipperary, Ireland in 1924. From his mother, Eileen (Mead), a well-known traditional singer, he learned a vast repertoire of songs. After serving with the British Army during World War 2, he went to England for a few years and then emigrated to Canada in the 1950s, where he worked in the copper mines and later as a physical therapist in Vancouver. He was active as a traditional singer and also story teller. His wife, Phyllis, died a few years ago.

In addition to his Irish songs, Paddy has written songs about British Columbia - Britannia Mine, Copper Mountain Raise, Hope-Princeton Slide, Degrading Tale of 1970, and others.

I met Paddy in 1997 at the Seattle Song Circle's Rainy Camp, and he stayed at my home whenever he came down to Seattle for the Northwest Folklife Festival. During those stays at my home I recorded many of his songs and produced a CD "Paddy Graber - The Craic Was Great" in 2004.

In 2009 Paddy suffered a severe stroke, which affected his memory so that he could no longer sing. It was fortunate that I recorded him when I did. I also have other unpublished recordings of his songs.

Paddy was quite a character - controversial, entertaining, a source of many stories, an authority on traditional Irish songs - and a good friend for many years. It is, in a way, the end of an era - a source singer, of which few remain. Here is a article I wrote about him in the Victory Music Review in 2004. Goodbye dear friend.

Cheers, S. in Seattle

Subject: RE: Obit: Paddy Graber (1924-2015)
From: Deckman
Date: 28 Dec 15 - 11:11 PM

thank you for posting this Stew ... another good man gone. bob(deckman)nelson

Subject: RE: Obit: Paddy Graber (1924-2015)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 Dec 15 - 01:24 AM

Thanks a lot for introducing us to his music, Stewart.
May he rest in peace.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Obit: Paddy Graber (1924-2015)
From: MartinRyan
Date: 29 Dec 15 - 05:48 AM

Very sorry to hear that. I picked up his "Brittania Mine" song (a reworking of "Skibberreen", appropriately enough) from Mudcat a good few years ago and still sing it whenever an appropriate setting or circumstance suggests it. Earlier this year, I accompanied my wife Josephine to a conference in Vancouver. In the early 20C., the mine was accessible only by sea but nowadays the Greyhound bus runs past it - so I made an excursion/pilgrimage! (Nearly missed the bus back to Vancouver- but that's an other story.) Very interesting experience.

May he rest in peace.

Regards

Subject: RE: Obit: Paddy Graber (1924-2015)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Dec 15 - 11:37 AM

Awww. I had wondered about Paddy, because he seemed old when I met him several decades ago. ;-) There was a very good photo of Paddy singing in the old collection of Mudcat photos, but those haven't been around for a long time. I'll see if I can find it and post it on the facebook page.

Subject: RE: Obit: Paddy Graber (1924-2015)
From: Brian Peters
Date: 29 Dec 15 - 11:47 AM

I enjoyed that recording you made, Stewart, and am sorry to hear this news.

Subject: RE: Obit: Paddy Graber (1923-2015)
From: Stewart
Date: 29 Dec 15 - 12:30 PM

Correction: Paddy was born in 1923 (not '24) which would make him 92 years old. If I had just read what I wrote in 2004 I would have known.

Thanks everyone for your kind remarks

Cheers, S. in Seattle

Subject: RE: Obit: Paddy Graber (1924-2015)
From: Deckman
Date: 29 Dec 15 - 12:44 PM

Without a doubt, Paddy had the largest repertoire of anyone I ever met. He could sing for hours and hours. And his enthusiasm coupled with his extensive knowledge of the history that went with each song was riveting. He will be missed. bob(deckman)nelson

Subject: RE: Obit: Paddy Graber (1923-2015)
From: GUEST, Maggie Dwyer
Date: 29 Dec 15 - 01:34 PM

Paddy was a friend of my father's (John Dwyer) and there was a lot of travel between Seattle, Vancouver, and Victoria for various Song Circle meetings. I dare say that there are recordings extant of Paddy that may be discovered in years to come. I hope so. And I may have some myself in my father's collection - which really does need to be processed.

I have a copy of the The Craic Was Great disc, and like that it includes some of his descriptions of the origins of some of the songs.

Subject: RE: Obit: Paddy Graber (1923-2015)
From: dick.hamlet
Date: 29 Dec 15 - 02:07 PM

Sad to hear that Paddy is gone from us.

I remember attempting a Ewan McColl parody of BANKS OF THE ROSES,
and when I stopped, Paddy said something like, "That's the
women's tune -- the men's goes like this" and he sang a verse
of the original song.   The songs he had even after his stroke
were amazing.

Subject: RE: Obit: Paddy Graber (1923-2015)
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 29 Dec 15 - 03:11 PM

I was sorry to hear this news. Thanks for sharing some of his music. I have added his name to the "In Memoriam" thread. My condolences to all those who love and miss him.

RIP

Peter

Subject: RE: Obit: Paddy Graber (1923-2015)
From: Deckman
Date: 29 Dec 15 - 04:03 PM

I wonder how many folks remember, or even new, that Paddy was a "Frogman" in World War 2. He was in the Canadian Army and was trained as a member of a "UDT". (Underwater Demolition Team). They were dropped off in the night off the beaches of Normandy in June of 1945, swam underwater, with explosives, and wired them to Nazi underwater barricades, and exploded them to clear the way for the landing craft for the invasion of June 6th (as I dimly recall). I still well remember his barrel chest ... a result of years of training and conditioning his body for swimming. bob(deckman)nelson

Subject: RE: Obit: Paddy Graber (1923-2015)
From: Stewart
Date: 30 Dec 15 - 10:14 PM

Bob, a correction: Paddy was with the British Army during WW2. He was active in the Mediterranean area when he parachuted onto the coast of Italy. An unpredicted change in the wind blew him onto a cliff where his parachute hung up. He later awoke in a hospital in Tel Aviv and was told he would never walk. But with determined physical therapy he did recover to walk (he lost the sight of one eye when the parachute line struck his face), and later became a physical-therapist. This is just one story from an incredible life.

S. in Seattle

Subject: RE: Obit: Paddy Graber (1923-2015)
From: Deckman
Date: 30 Dec 15 - 11:49 PM

Such are the stories of legends ... and Paddy was certainly a man of legends. bob(deckman)nelson

Subject: RE: Obit: Paddy Graber (1925-2015)
From: Stewart
Date: 06 Jan 16 - 02:17 PM

Here is the official obituary. I screwed up on the dates, he was born on Dec. 18, 1925.

Patrick J. Graber
December 18, 1925 - December 26, 2015
On December 26, 2015; in his 91st year. Predeceased by wife Phyllis (2014), father of Rose-Marie, Eileen, Kevin, Sheila and Brendan. Occupational therapist at Shaughnessy Hospital for 35 years. Paddy was a traditional Irish folksong singer and collector as well as a songwriter and story teller. A Memorial Service will be held at Fraser Heights Funeral Home, 14835 Fraser Hwy, Surrey on Tuesday, January 12 at 1p.m. There will also be a requiem and lunch at Old Catholic Oratory, Port Kells on Saturday, January 16 at 1p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Covenant House Vancouver or Surrey Food Bank.

S. in Seattle

Subject: RE: Obit: Paddy Graber (1925-2015)
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Jun 16 - 02:03 AM

i WANT TO RECORD ONE OF HIS SONG TO WHOM DO I ASK PERMISSION


EMAIL [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Obit: Paddy Graber (1925-2015)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Jun 16 - 07:26 AM

Stewart Hendrickson (Stewart here at Mudcat) produced a CD for Paddy in 2004, and is probably your best bet for that information. The contact email on the back of the CD is (push it back together to use) hend at stolaf dot edu . Or join Mudcat and send him a PM from one of the links in this thread. (I sent him a note).