Washington National Cathedral will host the funeral for South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Olin Graham on July 28 at 2 p.m. Eastern. Photo: Episcopal News Service
[Episcopal News Service] Washington National Cathedral has announced it will host the funeral for South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Olin Graham next week, including a tribute from President Donald Trump. The service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Eastern July 28.
A native of Central, South Carolina, Graham served as U.S. senator from the state from 2003 until he died unexpectedly on July 11 at 71 from an aortic tear caused by cardiovascular disease. At the time of his death, Graham served on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Appropriations Committee, Environment and Public Works Committee and as chair of the Budget Committee.
“The cathedral is proud to serve as a sacred space where people gather during times of both celebration and sorrow. We believe that God is present with us in all of life’s moments,” the Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, dean of Washington National Cathedral, said on the cathedral’s web page announcing Graham’s funeral details. “Our prayers are with Senator Graham’s family at this difficult time.”
Hollerith will officiate the service.
Before he was elected to the U.S. Senate, Graham was a U.S. representative for South Carolina’s 3rd District and a South Carolina state representative. He also served in the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a colonel in 2015.
Graham, a Southern Baptist, never married and had no children. His younger sister, Darline Graham Nordone, was appointed by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster to serve the remainder of Lindsey Graham’s term, which ends in January. Graham was campaigning for reelection in November before his death.
The service will be by invitation only. The public is invited to watch the service online via the Washington National Cathedral’s YouTube channel.