Bennie ‘Ben’ Leon Graves peacefully passed away at his home in Norman, OK on November 11th, 2024, at the age of 79. He was born on February 15, 1945, to Bennie Emory Graves and Margie Faye (Myers) Graves in Denison, Texas. Ben was raised in Oklahoma City and graduated from Capitol Hill High School in 1963. He then went on to the University of Oklahoma, where he graduated with a degree in Architecture, followed by an enlistment in the U.S. Navy.
The Navy took Ben and his family to Newport, Rhode Island, where he attended Officer’s Candidate School. There, he worked part-time at a small local architecture firm where he designed a park located in Newport Harbor. He and his family moved back to Oklahoma in 1971 where he interned for Fred Quinn. Ben became a registered architect in 1974 and started his firm, Ben Graves & Associates, located on Campus Corner, and later known as Architects in Partnership. As an architect, he designed cherished spaces across Norman and Oklahoma City, with a focus on the design and development of private residences, public education projects, and commercial developments.
Ben received an American Institute of Architects (AIA) Merit award in 1983 for his interior design of the Summit Building office in Norman. He was appointed to the State Board of Licensed Architects and Landscape Architects by the Governor in 1992, on which he served three terms. From 1992 until his retirement in 2010, Ben served on various boards and committees in the industry. He continued working on projects despite his retirement, most recently his Lake Texoma residence. In 2023, he was recognized as a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Capitol Hill Hall of Fame.
Ben is survived by his two sons, Darren Graves and Matt Graves, his three grandsons, Davis Graves, Reid Graves and Jackson Graves, and his brother and sister Richard Graves and Linda Stewart.
A private graveside service will be held for the family with a Celebration of Life to follow in January.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks to donate to the Ben Graves Memorial Scholarship Fund at The University of Oklahoma Foundation at PO BOX 258856, Oklahoma City, OK 73125-8856 or the Sooner Golden Retriever Rescue.
Ben Graves
Petya Stefanoff, Chair of the Educational Committee with the American Planning Association, Oklahoma Chapter (APA-OK) and Gibbs College PhD candidate, has developed a new training program for local government officials. The program, focused on land use, zoning principles, and land development, recently certified its first graduates with Certified Citizen Planner status.
Gibbs Construction Science and Architecture students recently traveled to Dublin, Ireland, to compete in the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Region 8 Student Competition. The team partnered with Czech Technical University and secured third place in the Design-Build category.
Gibbs College is pleased to present the exhibition Vollendorf in Oklahoma: The Architecture of Dean Bryant Vollendorf during the Spring 2026 semester. It will be on display in Gould Hall, on the OU-Norman Campus, from February 16, 2026 - March 13, 2026.
