COLUMBIA, SC – Lindsey Graham returned to his home state for the last time on Wednesday (Jul. 29) for a second memorial service. The late senator was honored as an individual who truly represented his community.
“Lindsey Graham understood the hopes and dreams and needs of his state and delivered every time,” Governor Henry McMaster shared on Tuesday (Jul. 28) during Graham’s memorial held in Washington, D.C. Politicians from near and far attended the ceremony in D.C., with President Trump praising Graham for his efforts.
“He was the worst at carrying a grudge,” former Rep. Trey Gowdy shared at the memorial in D.C. “I had to keep a list of who we were mad at because he could not remember who had done what.”
Lindsey Graham died on July 11, 2026, after experiencing an aortic dissection caused by cardiovascular disease. An aortic dissection happens in the inner layer of the aorta, which is the main artery carrying blood from the heart. About 40 percent of individuals who experience such a medical emergency die instantly.
“I didn’t see this coming,” Pastor Tim Tate of Corinth Baptist Church said when eulogizing Senator Lindsey Graham on Tuesday. The reverend served as the senator’s spiritual leader during Graham’s lifetime. “I don’t think anybody did,” Tate added when speaking of Graham’s sudden death. “It was so fast.”
Lindsey Graham visited First Baptist Church in Columbia, South Carolina, a week before he died. The politician had words at what would be his final service at the place of worship.
“I don’t know why I’m here other than I love coming here,” Graham told the congregation. “This is like the highlight of the year for me to come to this service with my family to remind me what our country is about through Baptists who can sing and dance,” he added.
“And to those who say Baptists cannot sing and dance, come here; you will be proven wrong,” the senator told congregants.
Lindsey Graham never married, nor did he have children. The late senator adopted his younger sister, Darline Graham Nordone, after their parents passed away in the 1970s. Darline Graham Nordone currently serves in the senate seat left vacant by her brother’s death.