Daniel Hoover ‘Danny’ Graves, of Nashville, Ark., was born November 10, 1948 in Texarkana, Ark., and left this world Oct. 25, 2018.
He was 69 years old. He was the son of Louis “Swampy” Graves and Wilton Clements Graves. Danny was a member of St. Martin’s Catholic Church in Nashville. He was a past parish council president and was a Nashville Scrapper athlete.
He graduated from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and UALR William H. Bowen School of Law. He was a decorated combat veteran who served on riverboats in the Vietnam War, and ran radio communications for the Navy in Australia. Like several of his siblings, he worked at Graves Publishing Company for a time, before moving on to become an attorney. Danny was the deputy prosecutor of the 9th West Judicial District and was a former District Court Judge in Pike County. He was a former Rotarian and a member of MENSA.
He enjoyed cooking, hunting ducks, road trips, golfing, horseshoes, float fishing Arkansas rivers, crossword puzzles, reading, cracking the corniest jokes imaginable and riding the back roads. After retiring, one of his favorite things to do was watch the sunrise with a spiked coffee. He hosted killer crawfish boils and if you were lucky enough to attend one, you were lucky indeed.
Above all he loved his daughters. He taught them to fish, play darts and cribbage, take up for themselves, and spin a good yarn. He tried to instill a love for camping, but that didn’t exactly take. He took pleasure in blasting them out of bed with music when they were teenagers. Everything from Vivaldi to JJ Cale. He also enjoyed spending time with his grandson, Arnold.
Danny was preceded in death by his father, Louis “Swampy” Graves and some beloved cousins, aunts and uncles.
He is survived by his mother, Wilton Graves of Nashville, Ark.; daughter Blair Graves and her husband, Justin Tinsley, grandson Arnold Tinsley of Fayetteville, Ark., daughter Bret Neiser and her husband, Damon Neiser, of North Little Rock, Ark.; brothers Louie Graves of Nashville, Ark., Jimmy Graves of Fairfield, Iowa, Larry Graves and wife Dawn of Little Rock, Ark., Gerry Bob Graves and wife Martha of Charleston, S.C., Johnny Graves of Nashville, Ark., Mike Graves and wife, Denise, of Nashville, Ark., and Steven Graves of Bismarck, Ark.; sisters Kathy Taylor and husband, Charlie, of Dillon, Colo., and Jennifer Grimes and husband, JB, of Nashville. Danny is also survived by many beloved nieces and nephews and a few great-nephews and nieces; cousins; also a loyal and trusted assistant, Melissa Nutt of Mineral Springs.
Funeral services will be held Monday, Oct. 29 at St. Martin’s Catholic Church in Nashville at 3 p.m. Visitation were 1-3 before the service.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund in honor of Danny. https://www.fallenheroesfund.org/
