Evelyn Mackaig

      To Evelyn Mackaig, the entire world was a stage. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual, she was a performer in the theater of life. To everyone around her, she seemed to be eternally happy, and she willingly shared that joy with anyone whose life she touched. For Evelyn, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark or the twinkle of an eye. And with just those simple gestures, she could evoke the most pleasant of emotions. Evelyn really mastered the art of living and had great fun in doing so.

       Her parents were Wayne and Inez Giese. Evelyn was raised in Alice, Texas. Even as a child, Evelyn had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around her. She was raised to be warm, caring and friendly. She couldn't help but capture everyone's attention. She was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, she succeeded in entertaining her entire family.

      Always a good playmate, Evelyn was easygoing and fun loving. She managed to lighten the mood wherever she was, even during family squabbles. She seemed to have a knack for bringing compromise and erasing tense situations around the house. Due to a generous dose of common sense, Evelyn managed to find a satisfying solution to basic problems. Evelyn was raised with four siblings. She had an older sister Vilma, younger sister Shirley, and two younger brothers, Regan and Gerald.

      Evelyn never actually encountered a stranger in her dealings with people. She was drawn to individuals and crowds, using her gregarious, adaptable and outgoing personality to captivate her audience. This quality allowed Evelyn to continually develop new relationships, ever widening her circle of friends. Evelyn delighted in her role among all her acquaintances, because she viewed them all as potential spectators for her performance. Whether it was a story, a joke, a song or just plain fooling around, Evelyn was always right at home putting on a show among her friends. Evelyn utilized her interest in others as a great way to connect with them. While growing up her best friend was Laura. Later in her life, she became best friends with Nadine Cross. Evelyn loved sharing life and having her home filled with people she knew.

      The gift of being emotionally expressive and outwardly affectionate made Evelyn very easy to approach. On October 23, 1954 Evelyn exchanged wedding vows with Herbert Dewayne Callahan at First Baptist Church of Alice, Texas. They were blessed with, three sons, David, Darrell, and Daniel. Evelyn was also blessed with two grandchildren, Sherri and Jeremy. Evelyn had the ability to focus her attention on the present moment. If she was spending time with the kids, that's where all of her attention was directed. Evelyn's compassionate side prevented her from being a strict disciplinarian, and she could turn just about any situation into a playful, learning experience. She could spend hours entertaining them with fun and creative play. In fact, Evelyn had a knack for turning some of those nasty old chores into games.

      At work, as in life, Evelyn was a real “people person. ” she had a very successful way of dealing effectively with others, and her enthusiasm and energy was often contagious. Evelyn liked to see herself as something of a virtuoso. When dealing with various projects and problems, Evelyn was an adaptable realist, using her common sense and trusting her experiences and impulses to uncover the correct answer. Evelyn's talent for being a down to earth thinker, allowed many around her to see Evelyn as an excellent problem solver. Her primary occupation was as a business owner. She opperated Mac Material Handling for twenty years. She also had many years of office experience and working for churches.

      Evelyn had an endless appetite for new and different activities. She was always ready to join in the fun and add her flair and energy to an organization. Because of her personality, her humor, and her ability to get along with everyone, Evelyn's service was greatly valued by the organizations to which she belonged. Throughout her later years, Evelyn was an active member of the Soroptomist's club, the women's ministry at church, and was elected twice as the president of the Republican Women's Club.

      Vested with a deep concern for spiritual development, Evelyn recognized that her faith was important to her throughout her life. She was a member of the Calvary Baptist church for 38 years. During that time, she was actively involved with the women's ministry, choir and teaching Bible study.

      Naturally outgoing and generous, Evelyn was regularly doing things for others. For her, the gift of giving to others was second nature. Though she never set out to gain individual recognition, Evelyn was given accolades for her many and varied accomplishments throughout her life. The most prestigious award Evelyn ever received was for her leadership as President of the Republican Women's Club. This honor was awarded by Nancy Regan herself.

      Living life in the fast lane suited Evelyn just fine. It is no surprise that she loved to travel and to visit new and different places. She was naturally curious about other parts of the world and loved the real life adventure that came from visiting them. She was impulsive and willing to try anything once. Favorite vacations included Southern Baptist retreats in New Mexico, Hawaii, and The Holy Land, which she had the privilege to visit twice during her life.

      Evelyn passed away on April 14, 2009 at Western Medical Center in Anaheim, California. Evelyn passed away from heart failure. She is survived by her three sons; David, Darrell (Shelia), and Daniel (Penny). Grandchildren Sherri (Jeff) and Jeremy, and great grandchildren Alissa, Dace, and Dominic. Services were held at Calvary Baptist Church in Bellflower, California.

      Evelyn brought joy to all of those around her. She never had a mean bone in her body. She loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. She loved to share her energy, wit, and her zest for all of her activities with her friends and family. Evelyn Mackaig lived life to its fullest and made everyone around her happier just for knowing her. She will be remembered with a smile.