09/01/2026
Emmanuel College and the Victoria University community is saddened by the death of Dr. Fred Kimball Graham, Associate Professor Emeritus of Church Music, who died on Sunday.
Fred was a beloved teacher, colleague, musician and mentor whose influence continues to be felt throughout the Emmanuel community.
From 2001 to 2012, Fred taught hymnology at Emmanuel and served the College in a number of important leadership roles, including Dean of Chapel, Basic Degree Director and interim Registrar. In 2008, he became the founding director of Emmanuel’s Master of Sacred Music program — the first program of its kind in Canada — created in collaboration with the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music.
For Fred, sacred music was never simply about performance. It was deeply connected to worship, theology, community and the life of the church. That commitment shaped generations of students and helped establish a program at Emmanuel that continues to form musicians, worship leaders and scholars today.
Fred also served for 14 years as Worship and Music Officer for The United Church of Canada, contributed to the development of the Revised Common Lectionary and was involved in the creation of Voices United. In 2012, he was recognized as an educator with the Davidson Trust Award for Excellence in Theological Teaching, and in 2014, was made an honorary Fellow of the Hymn Society in the USA and Canada in recognition of his contributions to hymn singing, composition, and congregational life.
Those who had the privilege of studying and working with Fred will remember not only the depth of his knowledge, but also the care and generosity with which he shared it.
We give thanks for Fred’s life and for the lasting contribution he made to Emmanuel College, theological education and the wider church. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Melva, his family, friends, colleagues, former students and all who mourn his passing.
May his memory, and the music he helped nurture, continue to be a blessing.
