Joseph Graves Jr., a former chief of staff to Lansing Mayor David Hollister who spent decades in public service across city and state government, died Sept. 24 at his home. He was 80.

Graves died two days after Hollister, who passed away Sept. 22 at age 84. The two men's lives were deeply intertwined: Graves' father, the Rev. Joseph Graves Sr., pastored Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church and led the effort to rename Logan Street as Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Hollister considered the elder Graves one of his mentors, the Lansing State Journal reported.

Beyond his role in the Hollister administration, Graves served as chief deputy director of the Michigan Department of Social Services, a Lansing Board of Water and Light (BWL) commissioner and operations manager of the California Energy Extension Services.

Born June 11, 1946, in Peoria, Illinois, Graves graduated from Champaign High School, attended Southern Illinois University and Woodrow Wilson Junior College, and studied urban and metropolitan studies at Michigan State University. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1968, served as a military police officer stationed in Korea and was honorably discharged in 1970, according to his obituary at Paradise Funeral Chapel.

After his discharge, Graves returned to Lansing and began a career in public service at both the local and state levels. He later moved to California but came back to Lansing to support his father during an illness.

Mayor Andy Schor said in a Facebook post that Graves advised him during his 2017 mayoral campaign. Schor placed Graves back on the BWL board after taking office, but Graves later stepped down due to his own health problems. Schor, as quoted by the Lansing State Journal, said Graves always wanted to serve but wouldn't do it if he couldn't give it his all. Schor said he respected Graves for knowing when to step back and focus on his health.

Schor said losing both Hollister and Graves in the same week was difficult for the city and for those who counted on their friendship and experience.

Former Lansing City Council member Joan Bauer, who served alongside Graves during the Hollister years, told the Lansing State Journal that Graves always put the city first.

"When you look back, he played a role in the turnaround of Lansing as part of the Hollister administration," Bauer said. "It's sad to lose another community leader of his generation."

Graves' sister, Patricia Wilson, 79, of Georgia, told the Lansing State Journal her brother had been working with Lansing Community College and Hollister to recognize their father's impact on the region. She said she was proud of the love he showed his family and his many accomplishments.

John Boles, 77, of Delta Township, befriended Graves in the 1960s through Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church. Boles told the Lansing State Journal that Graves was politically sharp, recalling that Graves spotted Barack Obama as a rising star early on.

Even through prolonged health problems, "the Lansing community was always on his mind, with a list of things that still needed to be accomplished," his obituary states.

Graves is survived by his sister Wilson, sister-in-law Ann Graves, ex-wife Pam, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Van Graves and sister Linda Carol Carter.

An Omega Psi Phi ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at Paradise Funeral Chapel, 2900 N. Waverly Road in Lansing, with Graves’ celebration of life immediately afterward.