Harold B. Graves Sr., 92, of Georgetown, Texas, passed away 9 September 2019. He was a retired district superintendent and minister. He is the father of current General Superintendent David Graves and Nazarene Bible College President Harold Graves Jr.

Harold B. Graves was born 12 October 1927 in Nashville, Tennessee. Later in his childhood, his family moved to Franklin, Tennessee, where he graduated high school. He married Bettie Eby in 1949 and began attending Trevecca Nazarene College (now University).

He received a bachelor’s degree in ministry from Trevecca in 1952, and in 1981 he received his Doctorate of Divinity from Mount Vernon Nazarene College (now University).

He began his ministry as an undergraduate, pastoring Waverly First Church of the Nazarene from 1951-1952. He served as an evangelist in Tennessee until 1953, when he returned to the pastorate at Gallatin First Church of the Nazarene (1953-1956). He also served at Old Hickory Church of the Nazarene (1956-1963) and Clarksville First Church of the Nazarene (1963-1968) before moving to Indiana to pastor Gary Glen Park Church of the Nazarene (1968-1973). In 1973, he became pastor at Cincinnati Springdale Church of the Nazarene, where he served until 1975, when he received the call to become the San Antonio District superintendent. 

He lead the San Antonio District until 1980, when he became superintendent of the Southwestern Ohio District. He led the Southwestern Ohio District for 20 years until his retirement in 2000. 

He is survived by his wife, Bettie, sons Harold Jr., David and Ty, daughters Brenda Graves-Johnson and Cheri Graves-Alderman, fourteen grandchildren and twenty-nine great grandchildren.