George Michael Callahan Sr.

George Michael Callahan, Sr., was born in Mobile, AL on February 8th, 1939, and passed away peacefully at USA Health Providence Hospital in Mobile the night of July 19th, 2025. He is preceded by his wife, Bettie Jean Beasley “Miss Betty” Callahan; his mother, Fannie Bell Fisher Callahan; his father, Herbert Leon Callahan; his brothers, the Honorable H.L. “Sonny” Callahan, Charlie Callahan, and Terry Callahan; and his sisters, Sissy Martin, Mary Jane Emmick, and Rose Marie Callahan.

He is survived by his two sons, George “Mike” Callahan, Jr. (Gloria) and Gregory “Greg” M. Callahan (Lisa); his grandchildren, Brittany DeShazo, and Matthew & Breanna Callahan; his goddaughter, Michelle Fetterhoff; his godson, Addison Fetterhoff; and Miss Betty’s beloved dog, Scooter-Louise; as well as many nephews, nieces, and faithful friends.

Known ultimately as “Mr. George,” this man has worn many caps over the years while accruing tons of accomplishments, with his most noteworthy being an Alabama State Senator from District 35 between the years of 1998-2002 and being elected three separate times as a Presidential Republican Delegate. Before all of this, Mr. George attended McGill Institute and Auburn University before deciding to serve his country in both the Marine Reserves and the U.S. Navy, receiving an honorable discharge from both. He started off his career in Mobile County as a programmer for Morrison before becoming a manager at Mobile Gas Service, retiring as the director of Mobile County Data Processing after 27 years; all while being a deputized Sheriff, helping serve as an undercover drug officer for the citizens of Mobile. He continued his work for the county after his retirement by being an active co-founder in both the Tillman’s Corner Chamber of Commerce (now the Southwest Mobile County Chamber) and the Mobile County Land Owners Association; by being a member of the St. Vincent DePaul School Board, the Mobile County Republican Executive Committee, the Alabama Retired State Employees Association, the Boy’s and Girl’s Club of Theodore, Forever Dauphin Island, the Odd Fellow Lodge, and the Elk’s Lodge; and by being the Commissioner for the Mobile County Racing Commission.

Other than his endless stories of street racing, building his own house, and scrapping with any other man who came near “his” Miss Betty, he was particularly passionate about all of the work he did with the Mobile County Water, Sewer, and Fire Protection Authority; faithfully serving as a devoted member of their Board of Directors from 2005 to the moment of his passing. He was valued for both his outstanding leadership and important contributions, with his most memorable accomplishment being his introduction of “Sewer” services to both the Authority and to the residents of Mobile County, leading the MCWS to later name their newest building after him in his honor back in March of 2019.

In his early retirement, Mr. George still had a passion for politics. He helped his youngest son (Greg) to start his own nationally recognized family business in the world of political and business signage, even helping out on presidential campaigns while never forgetting about the smaller campaigns & businesses here locally. In his later years, Mr. George started enjoying his retirement a little more. He became an avid watcher of Auburn sports, The Big Bang Theory, America’s Funniest Home Videos, and any cowboy western that would come across his TV; also recording poker tournaments as research to help him not only with his next casino trip, but also with his countless trips to the Elk’s Lodge and tournaments he eventually held at home. Back at home, he would do his own bookkeeping as well, but you would mostly just catch him playing solitaire to “help keep his mind sharp,” as he would say. But after being separated for 2,590 days, he eventually found his way peacefully back to Miss Betty.

The service for former Senator George Michael Callahan, Sr. will be held at St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church on Saturday, July 26th, with visitation for family starting at 11am and friends following at 11:30am; the funeral mass will begin at 1pm and the procession will proceed to Pine Crest Cemetery for the graveside services afterwards. We would also like to invite everyone to the funeral reception being held at the Elk’s Lodge, 2671 Dauphin Island Parkway, where food and beverages will be provided. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to St. Vincent De Paul for repairs to the church (for their carpets & windows) on behalf of Mr. George. The family would also like to thank all of the nurses, doctors, and other healthcare professionals who worked and cared for Mr. George in his last months and their efforts to help him recover; a special thanks to Addison for all of the attentive care and endless hours of emotional and physical support that was given to Mr. George when it was needed the most.