Graham Summerwill Flitz

SUMMERWILL, FLITZ, PHELAN, LANDES, MCCLANAHAN, KOZA

Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 6/18/2021 at 15:16:25

Graham Summerwill Flitz was born July 16, 1991 in Iowa City, Iowa and died in Berkeley, California June 2, 2021. He lived a life of scholarship, compassion, acceptance, exuberance, friendship, family, and love.
Graham is survived by his parents James Flitz and Suzanne Summerwill of Coralville, Iowa, his brother Evan Flitz, at Pomona College in California. His immediate family includes aunts and uncles: Kristin Summerwill, Iowa City, IA; Ben Summerwill (Lora), Cedar Rapids, IA; Susan Phelan (Bill), Magnolia, TX; Lou Ann Landes (Jeff), Billings, MO; first cousins: Kate Summerwill (Mike), Mike Summerwill (Amanda), Sean Phelan (Erica) and Katy McClanahan (Eric); his close cousin/friend Tina Koza of Brooklyn, New York, and many caring extended family.
He was blessed with more friends than can be named here who were also his “family; “sister” Kelli Parsons, of Portland, Oregon, and so many loving friends, especially in California, particularly Suzanne Dufault and Jackie Ferguson who are honoring him at his Memorial Gathering.
Graham was an accomplished scholar, receiving his BS with Distinction from the University of California-Santa Barbara in Environmental Studies in 2012, and his MS degree from the University of California-Berkeley, School of Public Health in Environmental Health Sciences: Global Health and Environment in 2016. He was pursuing his PhD in Environmental Health Sciences at UCB and had successfully advanced to his qualifying exam, to be followed by final writing of his dissertation based on the research he had already completed. He was respected and liked by colleagues, and students, who related he was a good presenter; relaxed and knowledgeable, who always was willing to delve deeper to help them.
Graham was an explorer and adventurer. He loved researching subjects. He trekked through the Indian Himalayas and temples of Thailand and Cambodia. He traveled through Europe, and did some genealogy in Germany. He was a scuba certified rescue diver and held a black belt in tae kwondo. Graham loved the forest and the outdoors. He went on many hikes in the hills above Berkeley, especially this past year. He loved time at Burntside Lake at Ely, Minnesota and Sanibel, Florida where stone crab claws and oysters were always on his plate. He was exceptionally skilled at skiing and snowboarding and instilled his love for challenges on the snow in his younger brother Evan.
Graham always had music around him. He loved going to concerts like Outside Lands in San Francisco. He delighted in sharing songs from new artists and was a karaoke fiend. Many were the times he graced the whole house with songs from the shower, or whistling as he went about his day.
Graham was incredibly social, silly, sassy, creative, and curious. His world in the Bay Area revolved around much time with his friends, Giants games and finding the ultimate Karaoke experiences in his favorite bars. Graham did nothing half-way; he was determined to maximize the experience and fun. It didn’t take long to get to know Graham. Once you met him, you were close friends. He was accepting of all, open hearted and generous of spirit.
He was looking forward to San Francisco Pride Month events, his qualifying PhD exam for which he was well prepared, his birthday, and several upcoming events with friends. He was a loving and vibrant soul.
“Love is the world’s oldest medicine, your ability to give and receive love is your greatest gift and your greatest power. It is what will sustain you on every step of your journey ahead”
—Vivek Murthy, MD, MBA 2021 Berkeley Public Health Commencement Address

Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
 

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