Berry Cass Caldwell Jr.

Bud was born on June 4, 1931 to Berry Cass Caldwell, Sr. and Cassie Lois (Watterson) Caldwell. Berry Cass Caldwell, Jr. was named of course after his father, who in turn was named for two people who saved his Dad’s life at birth: Dr. Berry and Nurse Cass.

In many respects Bud’s life reflected the American experience of the twentieth century. He was born in rural Cameron, Texas into a family that was loving but poor. As a child, he lived in a small house where water had to be drawn from the pump outside, slept in a screened-in porch both summer and winter, and walked barefoot to school.

To help his family make ends meet, Bud labored long hours under a hot Texas sun picking cotton, earning less than five cents per pound. Sunday mornings were spent in their plain Baptist church, where he absorbed vivid lessons of faith that remained with him throughout his life.

Bud was tall, slim, and athletic. He was a gifted student, excelling particularly at mathematics, and played football for the Yoemen at C.H. Yoe High School in Cameron. Shortly before graduating, unsure of his future, he met a recruiter for the just-formed United States Air Force and achieved an outstanding score on his aptitude test. With the permission of his parents — he was only 17 — Bud enlisted and embarked on a journey that would take him far away from Cameron.

Bud joined the Air Force in 1948 and attained the rank of Tech Sergeant. His service in the Air Force was exceptionally varied, especially for a rural boy whose childhood nickname of Bud gave way, inevitably, to “Tex” which fit his Texas drawl and 6’2” frame. He served with men from every part of the country, became acquainted with cities like New Orleans and Mobile and New York, and became an expert in advanced wireless communication technologies.

“Tex” was chosen to be part of a team that set up the first offshore long-range radar installations up and down the East coast. He was later seconded to the Atomic Energy Commission where he helped monitor the first detonation of a hydrogen bomb in the Marshall Islands in 1952. By the time he left the service shortly thereafter, “Tex” had become a husband and father, and relocated to the northeast. But he remained, at heart, a Texas boy.

After his honorable discharge in 1954 with the rank of Tech Sergeant, he began working in telecommunications. AT&T, or “Ma Bell” as it was known at the time, played a prominent role in the next chapter of “Tex’s” life. He spent 27 years at the company during a time of rapid economic growth and technological change. He served in a variety of management positions culminating in a leadership role in AT&T’s Long Lines operations center in Boston, MA. “Tex” Caldwell was widely admired not only for his expertise but for his country common sense, often punctuated by the rural Texas expressions of his youth (“dad burn it!”). He was also conspicuous in Boston for his western-style business suits, string ties, and hand-stitched cowboy boots.

After his retirement in 1992 and a short stint with Digital Equipment, he moved back to Texas after capturing the heart of the red-haired beauty, Becky. They settled in Clear Lake where Bud was an active member of the Clear Lake United Methodist Church, serving his community through various non-profit organizations until his health declined. Bud loved his country and was a politically active member of the Clear Lake Tea Party.

Bud was preceded in death by his parents, Berry and Lois and his brothers, Kenneth and Bill, and son-in-law, James Moore, Jr.

He is survived by his wife, Becky, his brother Dean, and his children, Sharon Joan Acton (Timothy), Ruth Alexis Moore, Keith Robert Caldwell (Janice) and Scott Cass Caldwell, all of Massachusetts, and stepsons James H. Wiggins, Jr. (Sarah) of Canton, MI and Michael G. Wiggins of Houston, TX. Also, he is survived by his former wife Joan Ross (Ray) of Massachusetts.

He is also survived by grandchildren Alex Moore, Genevieve Moore, Erin Acton Bose (Ron), Kate Acton, Sean Caldwell (Sarah), Christian Caldwell (Samantha), Austen Caldwell, Cecelia Caldwell, Michelle Wiggins, and Travis Wiggins (Lacey). He was a proud great-grandfather to Tyler Bose, Catherine Moore, Grayson Caldwell, Hadley Caldwell, Liam Bardaglio, and Simon Wiggins.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.ForestParkEast-FHC.com for the Caldwell family.