Mark Graham — native Westporter, former radio personality, and noted softball player — died this week. He was 64.
His many friends mourn the loss of a larger-than-life personality. With his father, Red Graham, he owned WMMM and Minuteman Travel. Mark spent many years on air, when 1260 AM was Westport’s local station.
Mark Graham
He was a longtime “BOSS” figure. It stands for Boys of Summer Softball, a long-running Sunday morning game behind Town Hall. Mark always stood out, in his St. Louis Cardinals uniform.
He was familiar too at the Fairfield County Hunt Club, wearing his Cards jacket and a cowboy hat.
“Mark was a gentleman, someone whose company I always enjoyed,” says Alan Neigher. “His stories of Westport in the 1950s and ’60s were unmatched for detail, humor and irony.
Neigher also calls him “a kind and generous man.” His Graham Family Foundation helped numerous local charities, in arts, education, physical disabilities and sports. The fund was started by his parents, Red and Peggy.
Dick Kalt spoke often with Mark about the “challenges and fun” of running a radio station in town. Dick calls him “a warm and committed person, with a great sense of humor.”
Mark studied speech, dramatic arts and journalism at the University of Missouri. After working at various radio stations in New York and Connecticut, he spent 1987-97 as co-owner and operator of WMMM. In addition to broadcasting, he worked in sales, and as general manager.
The Cardinals connection came about when he was overnight news anchor at KMOX in St. Louis. He was heard in 44 states, and throughout Canada.
Radio played a part in Mark’s marriage too. He met his wife Angela while broadcasting from Saugatuck’s Festival Italiano. They were married in 1990.
In addition to his wife, Mark is survived by his son Harrison, who recently graduated from New York University.
Funeral services will be announced later. To leave an online condolence, click here.
Back in the day — before 
DeFelice — a former chief engineer for WMMM, who listened to that station and its companion, WDJF-FM, as a youngster — was there when WMMM gave up the ghost in 1997. Having been given a collection of reel tapes, along with the station’s scrapbook from the late ’60s through mid ’90s, he created the tribute site a dozen years ago.
WMMM is no longer (though the FM station lives on, as 50,000-watt 