David Paul Graber, beloved husband, father, brother and friend, passed away unexpectedly on August 5, 2023 in Alameda, CA.  David was born on November 4, 1955 in San Francisco, CA and was 67 years young.  His family is deeply saddened by his sudden death.

David will be forever remembered by his wife Melodie Graber, his son Avi Graber and Avi’s girlfriend Georgia Bakerman; his stepdaughter Erika Wright and her four children Fiona, Griffin, Halle, and Isaiah; his stepson Kristopher Wright and his wife Andrea; his stepson Justin Wright and his wife Casey and their two children Matilda and Charlie; his stepson Daniel Wright and his husband Mohan Sun. He is also survived by his four siblings Reyla Graber; Steven Graber and his son Alex Graber; Kelly Graber and his two children Kelly Dawn Graber and Kristofer Graber; and his sister Lisa Graber and her three children Jesse Mahar, Jennifer Dore, and Heather Saris.

David was predeceased by his father Victor H. Graber, his mother Barbara Graber, and his beloved grandmother LaReta Kelly Swanson.

David was born at San Francisco General in San Francisco, CA.  He grew up in Orinda, CA and attended Campolindo High School. In David’s younger years, he was a decorated and accomplished polo player. He later was a graduate of the New England Conservatory in Boston, MA in trumpet performance. David was very honored to have studied under Armando Ghitalla, principal chair of the Boston Symphony. Armando and David became close friends and traveled the world as connoisseurs of fine art and culture. He was a disciplined trumpet player with the never-ending pursuit of the perfect embouchure. David also studied trumpet with Jimmy Stamp who is still known as one of the greatest trumpet educators. David had great joy in infusing Jimmy’s approach to teaching with his own trumpet students.

David was a creative, kind, and passionate person. He loved live music, art, ballet, opera, photography and was an honored sponsor of the Oakland East Bay Symphony. He played professional trumpet for Seattle Philharmonic, Altarena Playhouse, Alameda Civic Light Opera, and numerous other live performance musical groups. David loved interacting with people and was a devout businessman. He had several successful entrepreneurial endeavors which included Bumpy’s Yogurt, Coffee Detour and Seven Seas Gourmet Coffees. You could feel David’s passion and love for the art of coffee in every cup or shot of espresso he shared. He never gave up on the “perfect cup”. David’s entrepreneurial spirit was passed down from his father and the family business, Crescent Jewelers. In David’s early years he was a successful diamond purveyor and respected salesman in the jewelry business. You could see his expertise in every piece of jewelry he gifted to his beloved Melodie. David lived by the motto of quality versus quantity.

David was an avid traveler and cooking became one of his greatest creative outlets. David lived in Israel for two years where he worked in a kitchen, graded diamonds and played trumpet. He visited numerous countries all over the world and was an expert international traveler. He appreciated different cultures, languages and learning about people from all walks of life   

The core of David was grounded in his identity as a Jew. He observed Shabbat each week and numerous meals were cooked and shared with his family on Friday evenings at sunset. The study of the Hebrew language was witnessed with hours and hours spent learning and examining the texts. Saturday was a day of rest for David and he relished in his belief that “you do whatever you want on Saturday”.

Anyone with the honor of knowing David, knew he was the epitome of generous giving. He truly believed that everyone mattered, no matter how great or small. David was often spotted giving money to people without a home. He gave generously to several local schools providing transportation, musical instruments, school supplies and scholarships. David was very engaged in Ben Gurion and established a scholarship in his father’s name, the Victor Graber Scholarship. He was a true humanitarian and even as his life has ended, David ensures that his legacy in giving will live on. His twist on Winston Churchill echoes; “Working makes a living. Giving makes a life.”

The thing David poured his heart into more than anything in this life was his family. His love for his wife was seen and felt by everyone that saw them together. They were truly each other’s best friend, with a love that was kind, patient and unconditional. David had such deep, deep love for his son Avi and the four children he chose through his marriage to Melodie. He was the ultimate father and stepfather and was always there to support any passion or need of his children. A child at heart, David was a loving, fun and engaged grandpa that was often found buried under several laughing children or tossing a ball in the backyard. There were no rules to his love for his family. He often recited the need for the family to stay close and he was known to reach out regularly and connect by whatever means possible. You knew David loved you. He showed it.

David Paul Graber was a kind, gentle, generous and patient man. He will be missed forever by those that loved him.  

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