Our dear friend Tom Graan passed away recently. Our personal friendship spanned 58 years. He was an integral part of our Sausagefest festival that spanned twenty years. He was the master wine sommelier in the wine tent. He was diplomatic, thoughtful and gracious in pouring the right wine for the right guest while also giving the guest a briefing on the wine that was being poured. With a Ph.D. in plant biochemistry he knew a lot about wine chemistry but rarely bored people with the details.
He opened so many wines in a few hours that he would threaten carpal tunnel syndrome claims against the festival. But year after year he manned the wine tent as a wine tender in charge. His grace and good humor will be greatly missed.
More details about him and his life follow in the link below:
Thomas P. Graan Obituary 2024 – Davenport Family Funeral Homes And Crematory