Graham Wrigley had a disarming way about him. Instinctively, he seemed to know how and when to ask for special treatment without seeming pushy. This was a talent that for 30 years made him a travel agent extraordinaire.
"Graham arranged trips to Europe and across America for our family for at least 20 years," said Marie Corrigan of Atlanta. "He would inform the hotels where we stayed that we were special friends of his and tell them to treat us accordingly. And whenever we reached our destination, there would be a note from him suggesting some additional sight to see or a new restaurant to try."
Mr. Wrigley was always attuned to special occasions. "I remember Graham once fixed it so there was an enormous birthday cake for my husband delivered to our hotel room in Paris at 8 a.m., so we had birthday cake for breakfast," Mrs. Corrigan said.
Another client and a longtime friend, Trav Paine of Augusta, said he and his wife were introduced to luxury travel by Mr. Wrigley. "But that doesn't mean he didn't know how to squeeze expenses and get the most value for the dollar. He set up perfectly wonderful trips for my wife and me to Zurich, Milan, London and Paris."
Graham Jerome Wrigley, 63, died Jan. 2 of a stroke at his Atlanta home. His funeral Mass is scheduled for noon Saturday at the Cathedral of Christ the King. Cremation Society of the South is in charge of arrangements.
After graduation from the University of Georgia and a hitch in the Army, Mr. Wrigley worked with his father building homes in the Atlanta area. After several years, he switched to the travel business, first with a Neiman-Marcus division. Later, he and some colleagues formed their own agency.
"Graham researched destinations to the nth degree," said Nora Townsend of Atlanta, a partner at Journeys Unlimited, now an affiliate of Century Travel. "He was our point man on trips that our staff would take to familiarize ourselves with hotels, restaurants and attractions that would interest our clients."
Mr. Wrigley was equally meticulous about his appearance. "He always wore elegant clothes," Ms. Townsend said. "And whenever our staff had some business gathering in the evening, he would knock off about 4 p.m., run home for a quick shower and change of clothes, and show up looking fresh and dapper while the rest of us looked a bit worn and rumpled."
"Graham had a knack for arranging extraordinary events for his friends and clients," said Roslynn Hight of Atlanta, another partner in the travel agency. "I remember one winter day in Provence he took a group of us to a restaurant for an all-truffle lunch. We spent four hours there sampling course after course of truffles and fine wines. It was a wonderful way to while away a chilly afternoon."
As a boy, Mr. Wrigley loved the movies, especially ones with exotic locales. said his sister CiCi Harris of Atlanta. "I guess that's where he developed his yearning for faraway places," she said.
His passion for the movies carried over into adult life. He became a regular in the Hollywood crowd on Oscar nights, attending 20 or so of the annual award presentations by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Mr. Paine, who joined Mr. Wrigley on two of those occasions, said Mr. Wrigley knew his way around:"Not only was he familiar with the stars, he knew a number of directors and producers, too."
Mr. Wrigley's sister Anne, who suffered permanent injuries in an auto accident years ago, was an important part of his life. "Graham treated her like royalty," Mrs. Harris said. "Most weekends he would take her out to a gourmet restaurant or to a movie or just some place out of doors. He always had an agenda for her. He was a wonderful caregiver."
Also surviving is another sister, Norma Nicholson of Chamblee.
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