“Mr. Graham will be remembered as a master negotiator and skilled politician who shared his love of Canada with the world,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement Monday night.
	Former Liberal MP John English told The Canadian Press that Graham died Sunday, according to a family member who shared the news with him earlier Monday.
	English said Graham had cancer and died peacefully after being in poor health for some time. 
	“He was a fun guy. I went out with him for drinks just three or four weeks ago. He didn’t drink… He enjoyed a good glass of wine but couldn’t join us,” she recalled.
	“He’s a wonderful presence. So positive, so upbeat. He’s a person to be taken seriously, but he never took himself too seriously. He was full of laughs. He laughed very easily.”
	Graham, 83, served as chancellor of Trinity College at the University of Toronto.  Both he and his wife, Catherine, were students there and were married in the chapel.  They had two children: Katy and Patrick.
	Graham was first elected as a Liberal Member of Parliament for the riding then known as Toronto Centre-Rosedale in 1993 after two unsuccessful runs. 
	Former colleagues praised Graham as a skilled MP, who had spent time at the back tables before joining cabinet, and someone who showed a deep passion for helping people in his community. 
	George Smitherman, who represented the same downtown Toronto area for the Liberals provincially as Graham did federally, said Graham had a remarkable way of connecting with people, regardless of their background.
	Smitherman, who is gay, said he first arrived in downtown Toronto as a child coming to terms with his sexuality and at a time when Graham and the local Liberals had incorporated AIDS activism into their politics.
	“That, to me, was one of the most defining features of how political parties should operate,” Smitherman said.
	“It was a really huge impact on my life.”
	Long-serving Liberal MP John McKay said Graham was a “complete politician”.
	“A good constituency man, a good national man and a good international man. Not many people can say that,” said McKay, who represents the Toronto riding of Scarborough-Guildwood.
	“He was (an) incredibly intelligent, dignified, classy man,” she added. 
	In January 2002, months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks shocked the world, Graham was appointed to serve in the cabinet as foreign minister by then-prime minister Jean Chrétien.
	At the time, Canada had to decide whether to join the US-led invasion of Iraq and then sort out its relationship with its closest ally when it chose not to.
	Graham was praised not only for his help with that decision, but also for his overall handling of the role at a tumultuous time in international relations. 
	“He was an excellent foreign secretary and an able parliamentarian,” tweeted John Baird, who served as foreign secretary under former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper. 
	After his time in foreign affairs, Graham moved to the defense portfolio.
	Eugene Lang was his chief of staff at the time and said Graham, who was well-travelled before entering politics, was liked by most people, including MPs and civil servants. 
	“He treated everyone with enormous respect.  There was no arrogance in Bill.”
	Lang said that while Graham had only been in the role of defense secretary for less than two years, he had many accomplishments, including securing funding and also recommending the appointment of Rick Hillier as chief of the defense staff.
	Former Liberal prime minister Paul Martin issued a statement after learning of Graham’s death, saying he “helped our government and our country navigate a difficult time in history as we deployed to Kandahar in southern Afghanistan.” 
	“His loss will be felt by all who knew or worked with him.”
	After the Liberals lost government to the Conservatives in 2006 and Martin resigned, Graham took on the role of interim party leader.
	“The Liberal party owes him a huge debt of gratitude,” said McKay, who said he was an obvious choice for many. 
	Harper said Graham was the first official opposition leader he had faced since winning government. 
	“Bill was always a gentleman,” he tweeted. 
	“He always has the best interests of the country in mind.”
	Former Liberal minister Ralph Goodale, who was leader of the House Opposition when Graham was interim Liberal leader, called his former colleague “wise and thoughtful, especially on foreign policy and defence”.
	“In an era of deep polarization and extreme populism, Bill’s sense of moderation, decency and balance is sorely missed. Our love and respect go out to his family, friends and colleagues,” Goodale said in a statement.
	Longtime Liberal cabinet minister Carolyn Bennett said she remembers Graham as someone who was comfortable with everyone and a generous listener in conversation.
	“There’s no one else you’d rather have dinner with. And I think that’s how a lot of us feel,” he said Monday. 
	“He was so special. It’s so hard to believe he’s gone,” Bennett said, her voice cracking. 
	This report by The Canadian Press was first published on August 8, 2022.
	— With files by Allison Jones and Jordan Omstead in Toronto