Leathell McKinley "Kenny" Graves

On Friday, September 10, 2021, our beloved son and brother, Leathell McKinley Graves, passed away at the age of 61.

He was affectionately known as "Ken" or "Kenny." Kenny was born on July 15, 1960 to the late Eugene L. Graves and Willie Mae Graves in St. Louis, Missouri. He attended Hazelwood Central High School, Florissant Valley Community College, and the University of Texas in Dallas.

He met the love of his life, the late Kelly (Kendall) Graves, whom he married in 2006. They were married until Kelly passed in 2020. They had no children.

Kenny had a passion for music which began when he was still in grade school. His passion led him to learn piano early on, but his real love was playing bass guitar. Through years of practice and devotion to his craft, he became an expert bass player who played in various local groups in St. Louis and Dallas. More recently, he was the regular bass player for the very popular Dallas music group "Don't Tell Mama" for more than a decade.

He was known for his infectious smile, tech-savviness, and wicked sense of humor.

Kenny is survived by his mother, Willie Mae Graves, and his sisters, Vergeena Johnson, and Jessica Bailey, and his niece, Joycelyn Johnson.

We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. (2 Cor 5:8)