Decatur double homicide has Madison ties

Jeffrey Graff’s friends and family remember him mostly by his sense of humor and his devotion and service to his church.

Graff, 50, was one of the two victims slain at a Krystal’s restaurant in Decatur Wednesday, Aug. 24.

Graff also worked at the Krystal’s on Madison Boulevard for less than a year as a manager.

Graff had just been transferred to the Decatur location not long before the shooting.

Originally from St. Paul, Minn., Graff moved to Huntsville with his wife, Lois, in 1987.

“His strong faith and compassionate personality was consistently on display throughout his restaurant management career and church,” Lois said. “He had a kind nature, great sense of humor and personal drive.”

Graff was a charter member of Messiah Lutheran Church. He met long-time friend Ken Grant in 1991 at the church.

“Jeff was a very quiet man,” Grant said. “He was very shy and quiet, but once you got to know him, he had a great sense of humor. He and his wife have probably been the greatest assets in the church.”

Grant said Graff typically held jobs that required him to work seven days per week, but he always managed to make it to one church service a week.

“He had a spot he sat in every week,” Grant said. “This kind of thing would be impossible to deal with if it weren’t for faith. There’s no one in the congregation that had more faith than Lois and Jeff. And that’s what’s going to see us through.”

The church held a prayer vigil in Graff’s honor Wednesday.

Joe Paxton, another friend of Graff, noted Graff’s selflessness by saying he never hesitated going out of his way to help others.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen him when he wasn’t helping,” Paxton said. “It seems like he was continuously doing things. He always brought a smile to my face and will certainly be missed by a lot of people.

Visitation for Graff will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27 at Madison Chapel Funeral Home.  The funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 28 at Messiah Lutheran Church.