Harold Lenard Calkins

A beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, son, brother and uncle, he passed away on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2008, of congestive heart failure at age 83. Harold was preceded in death by his parents, Chester Arthur Calkins and Hazel Frances Tarpenning Calkins, who were of O'Neill, Neb. He is survived by his wife, Phyllis "Jean" Callaway Calkins, of Gun Barrel City, Texas; brother, Donald and his wife Claryce Calkins, of Lincoln, Neb.; sister, Jean Lyons, of Cassville, Mo.; daughter, Carol Calkins, of Dallas; sons, Bill Calkins and his wife, Karen, of Baton Rouge, Ron Calkins and his wife, Kelly, of Little Rock, Ark., Scott Calkins and his wife, Debbie, of Baton Rouge; and daughter, Karen Link and her husband, Ken, of Phoenix. "Peepaw," as he was known since his eldest granddaughter, Erin, bestowed him with that moniker, is also survived by and proud grandfather to Erin Calkins Falterman and her husband, Ryan, of McKinney, Texas, Jennifer Bordelon Hines and her husband, Spencer, of Corpus Christi, Texas, Paul Bordelon and his wife, Erin, and Brian Bordelon, of Dallas, Kyle and Steven Calkins, both of Baton Rouge, Zoe Calkins, of Little Rock, Ark., Robby and Libby Link, of Phoenix, Maia, Liam and Aidan Calkins, all of Baton Rouge; and great-grandchildren, Chase, Emileigh and Zane Falterman, all of McKinney, Texas. He is also survived by many in-laws, nieces, nephews and a multitude of friends. Harold, who was born on his mother's birthday, was the oldest son of three children. In high school, he was a popular student, an outstanding athlete and president of his senior class. He enjoyed football, hunting and time with his close friends and family. After graduation in 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Merchant Marine and graduated first in his class from Kings Point Merchant Marine Academy in Long Island, N.Y. A veteran of World War II, he served for three years in T-2 tankers under three different service flags simultaneously - the U.S. Merchant Marine, U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard - and often said he did not know who was his boss as he, Lt. Calkins, received an honorable discharge from all three. Even though the T-2 tankers were armed with 50 caliber guns and his ship docked in Tokyo two weeks after Japan surrendered, his veteran status was not acknowledged until some 50 years after he was separated from service. Upon his return to land, he married Jean Callaway on Aug. 15, 1947, (with whom he celebrated 61 years of marriage this past August) and began a long career with Continental Baking Co., a.k.a., Wonder Bread and Hostess Cake, first in the Midwest and then as North Louisiana Division manager and later as a route owner in the Greater Baton Rouge area. After 31 years, he retired from Continental Baking and went on to work with Davis Sales in Baton Rouge until his official retirement in 2000. For 34 years, Harold was an active member of Broadmoor United Methodist Church and the Ed McDonald Bible class and valued working with the Prime of Life group. Known for his wry sense of humor, he loved to tease his friends and family whether by hiding Mom's dessert while winking at his children to get them to go along with his practical joke or by telling straight-faced jokes (sometimes gleaned from Reader's Digest, Smiley Anders' column in The Advocate and his Sunday School class)! In 2006, he and Jean relocated to Gun Barrel City, Texas, on Cedar Creek Lake where he enjoyed many family gatherings, fishing, playing Scrabble (almost every evening with Jean), "giving cribbage lessons," and "guarding" the lake. He especially enjoyed a challenge cribbage match with his sons when they visited and he always wanted to play not just one, but two out of three. Visitation at Rabenhorst Funeral Home East, 11000 Florida Blvd., on Wednesday, Nov. 19, was from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Visitation at Broadmoor United Methodist Church, 10230 Mollylea Drive, is on Thursday, Nov. 20, from 9 a.m. until religious service at 10 a.m. Interment in Greenoaks Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers and in remembrance of Harold, the family requests that donations be designated for local missions through First United Methodist Church of Mabank, 501 South Third St., Mabank, TX, (903) 887-3691 or through Broadmoor United Methodist Church in Baton Rouge.