By Jerry Ratcliffe

Lynn Graves cautioned his mother, Rachel, that the crowd showing up for husband Jimmy’s funeral might overwhelm the Hebron Lutheran Church this past Thursday. Rachel, Jimmy’s wife for the past 62 years, wasn’t so sure, until they pulled off the road and gazed at a parking lot that spilled over into the grassy meadows that surrounded the property.

Hundreds showed up to pay respect for a man who defined friendship and hospitality.

Jimmy Graves was a local legend. Everybody in Madison County and surrounding Central Virginia, especially Charlottesville, knew Jimmy and his Graves Mountain Lodge. Anyone involved in Virginia basketball over the past few generations had experienced the Cavaliers basketball camps and sampled Jimmy’s extraordinary food at Graves Mountain Lodge.

Coach Bill Gibson started the camp affiliation at Graves Mountain back in the ‘70s. Terry Holland continued it. At times, football’s George Welsh, baseball’s Dennis Womack and lacrosse’s Dom Starsia brought camps to the mountain. If Holland brought in a basketball player who needed to bulk up before the season, he sent that player to Jimmy, not only to work, but to eat and add necessary pounds.

The Graves family was always involved with Virginia athletics, although Rachel said Thursday that it was interesting during conversations with Wahoos to slip in the fact that Jimmy was a Virginia Tech grad.

Still, he was closer and more loyal to UVA athletics than many Wahoos. He never missed an ACC Tournament, feeding Virginia coaches and players from start to finish. Most recently, Jimmy and his sons were spotted handing out fresh watermelons after a Cavaliers football practice.

Present UVA basketball coach Ryan Odom, who attended Thursday’s ceremony, was part of that camp experience when he was a kid and his dad, Dave, was an assistant coach to Holland.

“I watched the movie “Rocky” for the first time right in that room,” Odom said, turning and pointing to the Lodge. Campers were usually treated to a movie at night after a hearty meal and before lights out.

Several former UVA basketball players were among those to show up and pay tribute to Graves. Jeff Jones, Wally Walker, Barry Parkhill, Jimmy Miller, Lee Raker (flew in from New York), Terry Gates, Matt Blundin, were all there, along with former coach and AD Craig Littlepage. Numbers of other former players sent their regards.

Walker, who went on to become the MVP of the 1976 ACC Tournament and enjoyed a lengthy career as an NBA player and administrator, remembered his very first night at the Graves camp.

“I hadn’t started my freshman year at Virginia, but I drove down from Pennsylvania because camp counselors were supposed to play that night,” Walker said. “Huge rain storm that night, so we had to go over and play at Madison High School. Jerry West comes and watches us play, so that was a big deal.

“We came out after the game and we can’t get across the bridge because the river is raging. I had a little Volkswagen and had to park it on the other side of the river. Next morning, I get up and the river is lapping up against my Volkswagen. I’m thinking it’s going to get swept down the river. Jimmy and Rachel thought that was the funniest thing, and Jimmy told that story every single time I was in his presence with somebody.”

Eventually, a truck came along and saved Walker’s vehicle, so no harm, no foul.

What Walker remembered most was the generosity, hospitality and warmth from Graves.

“We all love him,” Walker said.

Those basketball camps were very rustic. Campers stayed in cinderblock cabins, the courts were outside in the hot sun.

“But we all had a hoot,” Walker said. “Jimmy was all part of that. He loved having us around.”

Miller, MVP of the 1984 NCAA East Regional, was one of those players Holland sent to Graves to beef up.

“I came in at a buck-90 my first year out of high school, so I was getting up early for a big breakfast, would work until noon, have a packed lunch, drive to Charlottesville, train, work out and be back at the Lodge for dinner,” said Miller, who put on at least 10 pounds of muscle during the summer.

He worked shucking corn and packing peaches in the mornings, for three or four months. The camaraderie with the other players and campers was tremendous.

Speaking of food, Gates, who is known for a voracious appetite, took advantage of the Graves Mountain table.

“The number of trips I went through that buffet line upstairs … if they had a top-10 list, I’d be maybe 20,” Gates joked. “I shouldn’t mention the Mountain Oysters.”

The Graves put together a special tailgate birthday party for Gates’ mom one year at a football game, just because.

Raker, one of the toughest players in Wahoo history, still loves the Mountain and brought his clan in for a family reunion. He remembers one year at the ACC Tournament when Jimmy put on a pig roast for the basketball team and family members in Greensboro.

“My father was always in a coat and tie, so when he showed up for the roast, the Graves were running from the grill to the buffet with the pig,” Raker said. “My dad’s not one to stand around and do nothing, so he tucked his tie in his shirt, rolled up his sleeves and started helping move the pig to the buffet.

“Jimmy’s sitting there watching him for about half an hour and finally says, ‘I don’t know who you are, but you’re the best-dressed worker we have.’ My dad turned around and said, ‘Well, you know, I can teach you a couple of things about getting dressed up.’ Jimmy goes, ‘No, you can’t.’ They became best friends from that moment on. They were like two peas in a pod.”

Jimmy’s son, Lucky, remembered one year, sitting in heavy traffic while trying to get to the ACC Tournament in Greensboro. Virginia assistant football coach Tom Sherman was riding along with them and as they stopped at a red light, Sherman suddenly shouted, “Chinese fire drill,” and jumped out of the car. Lucky followed suit.

Jimmy didn’t find it so funny, especially when the light turned green and horns started honking.

“Dad was furious,” Lucky said.

Lucky remembered Sherman telling Jimmy, ‘All I knew is I had to beat Lucky back into the seat, because he would have left Lucky standing there.’

“And he would have,” Lucky laughed.

Lucky and brother Lynn recalled the great relationship that their family — especially Jimmy — had for decades with Virginia’s athletic program, and they still cherish those memories.

Jimmy was quite the character, not only around athletics, but in everyday life.

He had this habit of reading books while driving his tractor somewhere on the property, sometimes so entranced by the book, he might accidentally bump into something.

Then there was the time the brothers were standing outside the lodge and saw Jimmy slumped over in the tractor’s seat.

“We yelled at him, no response,” Lynn said. “We got concerned and took off running. We got to the tractor, yelling. He was fine, just reading his book and put it in park because he wanted to finish the chapter. He sat there until he finished. We said, ok, dad, just next time, try to move just a little bit so we’ll know nothing’s wrong.”

Whatever he chose to do on any given day, Jimmy Graves was “all in,” with no regrets.

Rest in peace, Jimmy. We will miss you.