Harold “Hal” E. DeGraw – a well-respected man, dedicated public servant and faithful supporter of the Nevada County community – passed away unexpectedly on December 22, 2025, at the age of 82. Known for his steady, quiet commitment to everything he did, his life embodied the Rotary motto, “Service Above Self.”
Born in Mason City, Iowa, to Edward and Vera DeGraw, Hal grew up on the family farm, where he learned responsibility and the value of hard work. In his youth, he excelled in every endeavor, from achieving the rank of Eagle Scout to graduating as his high schools Salutatorian.
He initially considered a career as an architect, influenced by his towns connection to Frank Lloyd Wrights Prairie School, but ultimately chose a different path when he enrolled at the University of Oklahoma (Go Sooners!). After graduating, like so many Midwesterners in search of warmer winters, Hal headed to San Francisco to attend Hastings Law School, where he pursued his law degree and served on the Law Review. This marked the beginning of his 51-year legal career in California.
After time in private law practice in Southern California – where he married Joanne Davenport and helped raise his stepchildren, Jill and Bob – Hal answered a call in 1988 from Nevada County to continue his career in the County Counsel’s Office. Serving as Chief Deputy, Assistant, and Interim County Counsel, he became the county’s expert in Land Use and a trusted advisor to the Planning Commission. He also served as the Attorney for Nevada City for a decade through the law firm Jones & Mayer. One of his proudest achievements was in helping Nevada City acquire Sugar Loaf Mountain. Hal loved practicing law in Nevada County and was well respected by his peers. He retired after 32 years of local public service.
Outside his professional life, Hal was truly a Citizen of the World and happiest when helping others. As a charter member of the 49er Breakfast Rotary Club of Nevada City, he participated in local projects as well as humanitarian missions to Nepal, Uganda, Papua New Guinea, Peru, and Colombia. He was honored with the California State Assembly’s Humanitarian of the Year Award, the Rotary International Presidents Citation for Meritorious Service, and the Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Foundations Humanitarian of the Year Award.
Hal also found time to serve on the board of the Nevada Union High School Scholarship Committee, portrayed President Rutherford B. Hayes in the Marching Presidents, and founded the Nevada County Pétanque Club, introducing many to the game he loved. While traveling in France, he once asked to join a local group for a round and surprised them by proudly winning! He also gathered a weekly coffee klatsch of his longtime friends, who miss him dearly. As one friend described him, “He was a great listener and didn’t talk a lot-but when he did, we all listened.”
When time allowed, Hal was an avid reader, loved skiing and traveling. He also enjoyed animation and all things Disney. He will be missed walking to Java Johns for his morning mocha and cinnamon roll, and for keeping up with local downtown happenings.
Above all, Hal was a family man. He married Barbara DeGraw in May 1994 and was a loving and devoted husband and father. His daughter, Taylor, shared that he was the best father – always there for the moments that mattered most. His stepdaughter, Jill, agreed, saying Hal was absolutely the best dad and how very lucky she was to have him in her life. Hal was smart, good, kind, trustworthy, and steadfast. His stepson, Bob, added that he was also “patient, tolerant, compassionate, empathetic, endlessly curious, adventurous, funny, and playful person.” If you didn’t know him, you missed out on a truly good soul.
Hal is survived by his wife, Barbara; children Taylor DeGraw, Jill (Tom) Cotten, and Bob (Cori) Davenport; grandchildren EJ, Joanne, Luke, and Lance; and great-grandchild Henley. He is also survived by his sisters Laura (Howard, deceased) Shanks, Ruth (Ken) Rice, sister-in-law Rosie DeGraw and his Texas family by his first wife. He was predeceased by his brother Lyle DeGraw, his first wife Joanne DeGraw, and his parents, Vera and Edward DeGraw.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 21, 2026 at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Nevada City, CA at 11:00am. In lieu of flowers, please consider a charitable donation to Rotary (49er Breakfast Rotary Club of Nevada City), the Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Foundation, or a charity of your choice that reflects the life of Hal.