Miami Lakes mourns Bob Graham, one of its founding fathers; family friend remembers ‘Mr. Florida’

MIAMI LAKES, Fla. – The town of Miami Lakes flew its flags at half-staff on Wednesday in honor of former Florida Gov. and U.S. Sen. Bob Graham.

According to the Bob Graham Center for Public Service, the Miami Senior High School graduate helped plan Miami Lakes Town Center in the 1960′s.

The area came from parts of the Graham family’s South Florida dairy farm, which later grew into a 3,000-acre project establishing Miami Lakes.

At Bob Graham Education Center, a public school named after the former governor and senator, a portion of Wednesday’s morning announcements were dedicated to sharing information about Graham’s life in public service.

Local 10 News caught up with Graham family friend and former Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber.

“Bob Graham was Mr. Florida,” said Gelber. “It is impossible to quantify the positive impact that Bob had on our state. He fought for the Everglades and public education, he was one of the most thoughtful voices on national security in the US Senate, but at the end of the day people just loved him because they sensed he was a thoughtful, down to earth modest man, so he will be missed.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis, also addressed Graham’s passing.

“He served this state with honor and integrity,” said DeSantis. “And really made a great contribution.”

Graham’s family posted a touching tribute on X that read, in part:

“He was a rare collection of public accomplishments and personal traits that combined to make him unforgettable as his family. We will ever forget his love for us, the love he had for Florida and the United States and the world, and the love so many people showed him.”