ARGYLE, Texas - William “Bill’’ Graves, 52, an owner of 94 Domino’s Pizza stores in nine states, including his first store in Willmar, Minn., was killed when the small plane he was flying crashed Wednesday night in Texas.
According to The Cross Timbers Gazette, the twin-engine Cessna was on approach to the Denton (Texas) Enterprise Airport shortly after 9 p.m. when it crashed in a grassy area of a construction site near Argyle.
There were no other passengers, according to authorities. Texas Department of Public Safety and the Federal Aviation Administration officials are conducting an investigation into the cause.
Graves was a 1984 graduate of the University of Georgia with a bachelor's degree in business administration. He was the chief executive officer of Dirt to Dough Consulting, a company incorporated in Texas in 2013. The company has existed since June 1984, according to Graves' profile on the LinkedIn online social network. Before moving to Flower Mound, Texas, the family lived in Willmar.
According to a profile on the Domino’s Franchisee Association website, Graves started as a Domino's Pizza driver in 1981, becoming a franchisee four years later in Willmar. He operated 94 stores in nine states under the parent company of Dough Management, Inc. He also served on the Willmar Airport Relocation Committee, among other boards.
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Graves was married and had six children.
