John William McCallum

John William McCallum was born on June 15, 1923 in Seattle to Edith and Alexander John McCallum; after 88 extraordinary years, he passed away on May 21, 2012. He graduated from Ravenna Grade School and from Roosevelt H.S., Class of '41, maintaining lifelong friendships through the RHS Alumni Association and Golden Grads. He proudly served his country in the Army Air Corps as a radio/radar operator from 1942-46. He returned to the U.W. for his degree, joined Beta Theta Pi, and met the love of his life, Deborah Allen. They married in 1950 and raised their family in Wedgwood. John continued working in the family seafood business, McCallum-Legaz Fish Co., on the Seattle waterfront at Pier 66. He was president of McCallum-Legaz Fish Co. from 1950 until he sold the company in 1974. He founded Pacific Salmon Co. in 1975 and worked there until retiring in 2006. All four of John's children enjoyed working alongside their father in the family business. John was a great innovator and a successful salesman and served the seafood industry locally, in Alaska, and in British Columbia with integrity, honesty, and expertise. John was a lifelong student of history, loved Husky football, golf, stamp collecting, dahlias, and reading but, most of all, he loved his family. Left to cherish his memory are his beloved wife of 61+ years, Debbie, his grateful children John (Linda), Laura (Jim Mendes), Susan Hawes, and Julie, grandchildren Heidi and Jason Ruff, Meredith Hawes Schuck, Jeffrey and Matthew Hawes, Colleen McCallum Scott, Alaina and Leslie McCallum, great-grandsons Rory, Benjamin, Jacob, and Lucas, sisters Marnie Dean and Marilyn(George) Marshall, extended family, and a host of friends. John fought the good fight, he kept the faith, and he finished the race. He was greatly loved and will be dearly missed.