Karlis Graubics, Sr.
District Governor 2009-2010
Rotary International District 7600
Karlis was born in Saldus, Latvia. His parents, sister and he fled fled Latvia when he was 5, during WWII. Having survived the bombing of Dresden, where over half a million people perished in less than 24 hours, Karlis found himself in a “Displaced Person” camp near Nuremberg, Germany where many of the wars refugees had to live until a sponsor would come forth from various countries. The sponsor in Karlis’ life was a small church (Bethlehem Lutheran) near Waynesboro, Virginia. On May 29, 1949 the Graubics family passed by the Statue of Liberty aboard the USS General Taylor and then traveled by train to Waynesboro, Virginia where a delegation from the sponsoring church met the new family and provided them a place to live.
Today, Karlis lives in Mechanicsville, VA with Beverly, his wife of 43 years. They have two sons, Karlis Graubics, Jr. and John Arthur Graubics, and 4 grandchildren.
Karlis graduated from Richmond Professional Institute (VCU today) in 1964 with a B.S. degree in Business Administration, with concentration in Accounting. During the summer of 1964 he became an official certified citizen of U.S.A.
Upon retiring from The Department of the Treasury in 1993 where he had been employed as a Treasury Agent and later as Appeals Officer with Internal Revenue Service, he was presented with the Albert Gallatin Award, recognizing him for 27 years of distinguished service.
Karlis and his wife are owners of “Tuckaway”, a business they built together that owns and operates seven Child Development and Early Education Centers in the Richmond metropolitan area. The company is currently celebrating its 38th year in business and is assisting approximately 1200 families, daily. He also owns and operates Graubics Enterprises, LLC, a management service organization, and Saldus-West, LLC, a real estate management company.
His competitive years of basketball, rugby and softball behind him, Karlis enjoys golf more and has become somewhat of an avid bowler. His passion for aviation over the years inspired him to build his own “Rotorway” helicopter, which he still owns today.
In 1993 Karlis returned to his native country, Latvia, as a direct result of the Soviet Union’s fall in 1992. Purpose of the trip was to reclaim his family’s property, which was successfully accomplished. While in Latvia he assisted The Rotary Club of Riga in obtaining and celebrating its original Charter which had been dormant for 50 years. He is a charter member and founder of the Latvian Youth Basketball League in Riga, Latvia. It was established to help create better human relationships between the Latvians of Russian descent and those of native Latvians.
Karlis joined the Rotary Club of Hanover in District 7600 in July of 1987 and became a Paul Harris Fellow thereafter. In 1992 he became a Charter member of the Rotary Club of Mechanicsville and served as its Charter Secretary and in 1994-95 led the club as its President. The District appointed Karlis as its Youth Exchange Chairman in 1995 and he served in that capacity for 6 years. He was appointed as an Assistant Governor for a two year term in 2005 and was in the process of completing that appointment when the District selected him to be its Governor for 2009-10. Karlis has managed to compile 9 years of perfect attendance.
He is a second level Major Donor, Benefactor and a member of the Bequest Society, as well as the Paul Harris Society. He became a Paul Harris Fellow early on in his Rotary life as are also all of his immediate family members.
Karlis attributes his allegiance to and support of Rotary to the lives it touches and changes in his community and around the world. Although not Rotarians, a small group of people in a church in Waynesboro, Virginia changed his life. If not for them, he and his family may never have lived the American dream.