Graver, Machiko Saho
COLONIE — Machiko Saho Graver died peacefully on July 20, 2021, at St. Peter’s Hospital after battling dementia for two years. Machiko was born in the city of Beppu, Oita-ken on the southernmost island of Kyushu, Japan. She was born on a farm to Motojiro and Anna Miyoshi and hailed from Samurai lineage, which forged her perseverance, tenacity, and hardy spirit throughout her entire life. She was the eldest of five children - her brothers Yoshiharu, Masaaki, and Satoshi, and her sister, Sachiko.
At the age of 20, she was working to obtain her hairstyling credentials when she met and married our father, William C. Graver III. They moved to Albany and then East Greenbush. She raised her five children with a very traditional Japanese mindset and also as a hard-working young woman with a strong work ethic. With our father, she gardened, fished, and raised chickens, goats, and even a one-eyed horse fondly named Squirt. She played baseball in the backyard and roasted fish and corn on a wood fire in the back of our house. She opened her own business called Fuji Oriental Food and Gift Shop when our father was injured in a baseball game and traveled to New York City to buy foods and merchandise for her store. In 1981, she went back to study cosmetology, obtained her certification, and started her career as a hairstylist. She was a born entrepreneur and would even travel to homes to help those who were disabled. She worked in several shops throughout the Capital District region and made many friends along the way.
She is survived by her sons, William C. Graver IV, Daniel Edward Graver, and George Graver; and her daughter, Joann Graver Plender. She was predeceased by her husband, William; and her son, John Robert Graver. She had eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. She loved to dance and lived a full life, worked hard well into her eighties and enjoyed spending time outside tending her gardens and yard, and visiting with friends and family. She touched many lives. A memorial service honoring Machiko with family and friends will be held at a later date. Please visit www. cremationcapitaldistrict.com