PAVILION DEDICATION — Members of the Toronto Lions Club dedicated the pavilion situated along the Ohio River at Newburg Landing in memory of Ellsworth “Pickle” Graham. The ceremony took place Aug. 28 at the Pickle’s Pavilion. Graham was instrumental in founding the Lion’s Club in Toronto, serving as charter president. Graham’s family was taken by surprise and among those in attendance, along with members of the Lions Club. Graham’s children, Thomas “Bo” Graham, and twins Marlene Wolf and Darlene Mason, along with their spouses and Graham’s four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, gathered for the ceremony. A pickles picnic theme of pickles featured pickled pizza, pickle cupcakes, pickled cheese, pickle chips and pretzels and pickles. -- Contributed

TORONTO — A late Toronto resident who was active in the community has been remembered in a special way by fellow members of the Lions Club he helped found.

The Toronto Lions Club invited the family of Elsworth “Pickle” Graham — who died on Sept. 16, 2024, at the age of 96 — to its summer picnic on Aug. 28 at Newburg Landing. The invitation was so Graham’s family could see the shelter, which sits along the Ohio riverbank, has been re-named in honor of the former city clerk and school board member.

Completed in 2001 at a marina along the Ohio River, the shelter was sponsored by the club, of which Graham was charter president in 1957. Graham maintained perfect attendance at the group’s meetings for more than 65 years. He served in the Toronto Masonic Lodge 583, F&AM, where he was past master and treasurer for more than 20 years; the Scottish Rite, Valley of Steubenville, for more than 70 years; and the Order of the Eastern Star for more than 65 years.

An employee of TIMET, where he worked in sales and quality control, Graham served as city clerk for 16 years and on the Toronto school board for eight years. He was a life member of the Toronto High School Alumni Association and a member for 60 years of the Toronto American Legion.

Following a Veterans Day service in 2020, Graham said he was one of 10 members of Toronto High School’s Class of 1945 who enlisted near the end of World War II. He said he served in the Navy aboard the USS Sussex, a ship that transported soldiers to the Aleutian Islands, a U.S. territory that had been invaded earlier by the Japanese.

Graham said while he and his shipmates contended with choppy waters, arctic temperatures, frequent blizzards and driving rain, he didn’t experience combat. He was awarded the World War II Victory Medal and honorably discharged in March 1948. Asked if he would serve in the military again, he replied, “Yes, sir. And quickly.”

Graham added he felt the experience helped him to mature. He said Veterans Day is important because it’s a time to remember all veterans, including his brothers, John and Harry, who served during World War II. He and his wife, Grace, also deceased, had three children: Thomas “Bo” Graham and twin daughters Marlene Wolf and Darlene Mason. The three were among family members on hand for the re-dedication.

Members of the Toronto Lions Club said just as the Ohio River has been vital to the city’s commerce, Graham was vital to the Lions and epitomized the international organization’s simple motto, “We serve.”