Gerald Calahan-March 13, 2012

Gerald Calahan, 76, resident of Amarillo, passed away on March 13, 2012 due to cancer. Thru out his illness he always maintained a good attitude.
Services will be at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 17, 2012 at the Boxwell Brothers Ivy Chapel, 2800 Paramount Blvd. with Jeff Messer, Chaplain for the Lee Bivins Foundation officiating. Burial will follow at 2:00 p.m. at Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch Cemetery. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors.
Gerald Calahan was born October 28, 1935 on a farm outside Simsboro, LA to Prentice and Lillian Calahan. He graduated from Simsboro High School and in 1953 he entered college at Louisiana Tech at Ruston, LA. In 1956, he was employed by Phillips Petroleum in the Texas Panhandle area. While with Phillips he learned to fly and earned a commercial pilots license. He was called into the Army in 1957-58 and again in 1961-62. After each tour he returned to Phillips and worked there until he began his career with Trans World Airlines as a commercial pilot on February 10, 1964. He flew both prop planes and heavy jets in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Africa and Vietnam. He retired from TWA on November 1, 1992. It was while working for TWA that he met his wife who also worked for TWA as a stewardess. Both worked for TWA a combined 60 years.
Upon retirement both Gerald (Jerry) and Rareen settled in Amarillo, Texas in 1993. A few years prior to his death he had a desire to come out of retirement and drive an 18 wheeler. He was given that opportunity for which he was grateful. He was a hardworker, had an old time sense for good work ethics and was a man of integrity. He had varied interests which included RVing to points out west as well as keeping abreast of the innovations of solar energy and hybrid vehicles. One of his favorite things to do was to drive his 1929 model A Ford. His ultimate goal was to drive Route 66 to California. He was a Baptist and believed deeply in the Lord.
He is survived by his wife Rareen and their dog “Lucky”, and a sister, Mavis Calahan of Shreveport, LA.
Suggested memorials can be made to Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch, P.O. Box 1890, Amarillo, TX 79174-0001.
A special thanks and appreciation to our medical community here in Amarillo and especially BSA Hospice, BSA Homecare and Bivens Rehab facility.

One Reply to “Gerald Calahan-March 13, 2012”

  1. I was Jerry’s girlfriend when I lived in California. Many times we played the $1 & $5 slots at The LV Hilton. We met at a slot machine at The LV Hilton & dated for 5 years until I moved back to CT. I remember all our time going to Raton NM, where he had a ranch. One time he ran over a rattlesnake & cut off it’s rattlers for me which I still have today. I’m shocked to see he died.

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