Bob was born April 1, 1922 in Muscatine, Iowa, the only child of Minnie and Paul Grafe. He graduated from high school in Muscatine and started college at the local community college. In 1943 he entered the military. Bob was assigned to Oregon State College in January 1944 with the Army Specialized Training Program for six months of intensive German language/culture training.

While in Corvallis, he met Helen Radcliffe at the Sunday night dinners of the Canterbury Club of Good Samaritan Episcopal Church. He was then assigned to six months in London, Paris and Germany as a cryptanalyst with the Army Security Agency. After Bob completed his military duty in 1946, he returned to Corvallis to complete his college degree. He graduated from Oregon State College with a degree in Education in 1947.

Meanwhile, he had re-connected with Helen, who was then teaching elementary school in Eugene, and they were married in St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Klamath Falls on December 28, 1947. Bob and Helen moved to Berkeley, California in 1948, where Bob attended seminary at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific. In 1951, they moved to Portland, where Bob was assigned to the newly organized St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in the Multnomah-Hillsdale section of southwest Portland. Bob served as rector of St. Barnabas for 36 years, until he retired in 1987. The congregation at St. Barnabas provided the nucleus for new congregations in Beaverton (St. Bartholomew’s) and Tigard (St. James) and five persons from the congregation entered the ministry.

When he retired from St. Barnabas, he had performed 754 weddings, 1301 baptisms, and 967 funerals. He continued to be active in his ministry, serving as interim pastor at Grace Memorial in Portland, Saints Peter and Paul in Portland, St. Francis in Wilsonville, and St. Augustine in Vernonia. He served as supply priest for many churches around the state, allowing others to take vacation or other leaves as needed. He continued to conduct weddings, baptisms, and, particularly in recent years, funerals, for the next 24 years.

After retiring, Bob and Helen were members of All Saints parish, Hillsboro, and that was where he last presided at the Eucharist, on Christmas day, 2011. He gave his last sermon at All Saints on June 10, 2012, less than a month before his death.

Bob served the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon in many roles. He was a member of the diocesan Commission on Art and Architecture, organizer of the Portland Lenten School of Religion, member of the Department of Promotion, member of the Department of Christian Education, member of the Department of Missions, Dean of Sunset Convocation, Secretary of the Diocesan Convention, Registrar of the Diocese and a member of the diocesan Board of Trustees.

One of his favorite roles was as dean of the Episcopal girl’s summer camp, which he did for 25 years. He was a mentor to many priests and deacons and served as Dean and teacher of the diocesan School for the Diaconate, member and chairman of the Board of Examining Chaplains and a reader of the national General Ordination Exams. He was chaplain to the retired clergy for many years.

As Bob always signed-off: Peace + love.