Obituary of Barbara J. Graham

Barbara Joan Graham, 62, passed away on September 6, 2021. She was born May 13, 1959, to Edward and Joan Sackman. Being a farm girl to her core, Barb was active in 4-H. She lived, breathed, and spent every waking moment with horses and trained and showed her horses in many different disciplines. After graduating from Schuylerville High School in 1977, she earned her Bachelor of Science at Tri-State University in Indiana in 1982. She then joined the Peace Corp and served in American Samoa. Then in 1996, she completed her Associates in Applied Science at Maria College and became a Registered Nurse. Barb had many hobbies, including bike riding, white-water rafting, hiking, snowshoeing, and pretty much anything else that was outdoors. Still, her number one passion was always horses, and she was a regular at area horse shows. Barb's favorite quote that she lived by was, "If you're goin' through hell, keep on going." Even after being diagnosed with cancer in 2020, she kept doing everything she loved. In the spring of 2021, she earned a Reserve Champion with her horse Dub in her last horse show. If a few words can sum up a person's life, then this describes Barb's life perfectly: "Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!" She is survived by her son, David, her parents, Edward and Joan Sackman, brother Jim, and several nieces, nephews, cousins, and many friends. Visitation will be held at Flynn Bros. Inc. Funeral Home, 13 Gates Ave., Schuylerville on Saturday, September 25, 2021 from 1 to 3 pm. A service will follow at 3pm. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to Crane Mountain Valley Horse Rescue, Inc. (www.cmvhr.org/)