Graham E. Smith was born on April 28, 1984, in Plano, Texas. He was the son of Katherine Massey and step-son of Ken Massey, a long-time Farmington Hills resident. Graham attended North Farmington High School and was well-liked in both his adopted Farmington Hills community and his hometown of Carrollton, Texas.

At the age of 27, despite having established a stable life with a steady job as a restaurant manager, a used truck, a new girlfriend, and a circle of friends, Graham tragically took his own life. While this loss cannot be reversed, his memory is honored through efforts to prevent others from making the same tragic mistake.