Open space advocate remembered for his passion

The given name of the father of Lake County's open space movement was Francis -- reflecting a hope by his mother to emulate Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, birds and the environment.

F.T. "Mike" Graham never liked it, preferring a variety of nicknames. Yet he was remembered Thursday by relatives and friends as a colorful and driven visionary, who ultimately fulfilled the wish.

Graham, 80, died Saturday. A long-established political force in Libertyville Township and on the Lake County Board, his relentless pursuit of land preservation made him many friends -- and enemies.

He made a stand well before preservation became a watchword, a passion recounted for about 150 mourners at St. Joseph Church in Libertyville.

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"Visionaries are often assaulted in their own time," said his niece, Ann Graham Deuel, in a stirring eulogy.

"Uncle Mickey's passion was perceived as arrogant, aggressive and, interpreted by some, without thought to the 'human element.' Nothing could be further from the truth."

Graham served as Libertyville Township supervisor from 1969 to 1989 and 1997 to 2002, where he pushed for legislation to create the first open space district in the Midwest. He helped convince voters to borrow nearly $23 million to buy and preserve land.

The long-time Libertyville resident and one-time car salesman also served 18 years on the county board.

Most people living in Lake County have never heard of Graham, said county board member Larry Leafblad. But they are sharing the legacy.

"All these generations yet to come are going to benefit from his guts," he said before the service.

Today's complaints of too much concrete and development are what Graham feared when he began his quest in the 1980s. Old township files are thick with lawsuits, many of them successful, over Graham's penchant for using condemnation of private property.

"What it did was bring people to the table," Leafblad said. "Everyone today agrees it wasn't what they were doing, it was how they were doing it."

During his tenure, Graham was attacked by developers and politicians alike. Yet there also was a softer side to the man, who established and maintained a township food pantry and personally loaned thousands of dollars to the less fortunate, according to his niece.

"My uncle did not die a materially wealthy man -- but he was rich in spirit, in faith and in courage," she said. She urged attendees to "fight our own good fights for just and noble causes" with the same integrity Graham exhibited.

Graham was best known for his environmental stands and would send articles regarding development and other issues to board members and news reporters.

One snippet, attributed to a 19th Century Cree Indian, summarized his feeling about what he regarded as a diminishing resource.

"Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize that we cannot eat money," the quote read.

He had been hampered by health issues since suffering a stroke about six years ago. At the time, he vowed to finish his term as township supervisor, but stepped down in January 2003.

Deuel recalled that even at 93, his mother said she was still waiting from her son to live up to the name she had given him.

"Grandma got her wish after all," she said.