Raul Calvo

Raul Calvo was born in San Fernando, CA on February 5, 1929 and spent a forty (40) year career in the aerospace/defense industry primarily with Douglas Aircraft/ McDonnell Douglas where he retired in 1989 after many years as a Procurement Manager whose staff supported many commercial aircraft contracts during that period.

EARLY LIFE

Raul Calvo was born the second child of Mexican immigrant parents, Antonio and Luz Calvo and was raised Roman Catholic. Raul, along with his two sisters and one brother, spent his youth and adolescence in San Fernando where his father had a catering business delivering Mexican food by truck to the pickers of the citrus groves that was primarily the landscape of the San Fernando Valley in the early years of the 20th century as well as for the workers in the packing houses packaging and crating the citrus for delivery. After graduating from San Fernando High School in 1946, he worked at his father’s newly opened Mexican restaurant, Las Delicias Café, where he began to learn the nuances of what it took to become a successful restaurant entrepreneur.

CAREER

In the early 1950s, as an outgrowth of World War II, and with the US’ entrance at that time into the Korean War, the aerospace/defense industry was fast moving in leaps and bounds as the United States made a gallant move to replace old antiquated fighter aircraft with new modern military designs. It was at this time that Raul had an opportunity to enter into the industry and thus took a position with the Douglas Aircraft Company in El Segundo, CA which required him to move to Inglewood, CA. When the Douglas Aircraft Company plant closed down in 1962 to move their operations to Long Beach, CA, Raul took a two and a half-year hiatus to take on an outside sales position with a small aerospace firm in Chatsworth, CA. However, he rejoined Douglas Aircraft Company in 1965 and remained there for the rest of his working career, retiring in 1989 at the age of 60.

PERSONAL LIFE

Raul married Julie Mateus in 1946 shortly after his graduation from high school and together they had three (3) children, Richard, born in 1949, Michael, born in 1957, and Julie, born in 1961. Raul raised his family both in Inglewood and Seal Beach, CA where he relocated in 1968 a few years after his return to Douglas Aircraft/McDonnell Douglas in Long Beach, CA. He would remain in the same home with his wife Julie up to the time of his death.

DEATH AND LEGACY

Raul began slowing down in the past few years due to Parkinsons Disease which slowly ravaged his body. He passed away at home on December 19, 2013. The cause of death was listed as complications from heart and kidney failure and Parkinsons Disease. In 1992, he was inducted into the Douglas Aircraft Company/ McDonnell Douglas Hall Of Fame as one of the top executives of the company prior to the company being acquired by Boeing in 1996.

The Rosary and Funeral Mass beginning at 10 am. Thursday, January 9, 2014 at St. Hedwig Catholic Church in Los Alamitos, CA.