Dick Sullivan Calkins
Dick Sullivan Calkins was born Philip Victor Aaronson III, in League City, Texas in 1938 to Virginia Sullivan Aaronson and Philip Victor Aaronson, Jr. He was born at home which was also the home of his maternal great grandmother. She called him Dick Sullivan after her grandson of the same name who had died as a young boy. A few years after Dick was born, Virginia was divorced and met Harold Kelley Calkins. Harold and Virginia married in 1941, and Dick became their son and the eldest of their four children. In 1948, Harold ’s work for Phillips Petroleum Co. took the family to New London, Texas, where Dick became a strong athlete, once pitching a no-hitter in baseball. Starting with an old scooter, he began a lifelong hobby of rebuilding motor vehicles, principally Porsches. After many years in New London, Dick’s family was transferred again and he graduated high school in Smackover, Arkansas. Dick returned to Texas as a student at the University of Texas at Austin and a member of Naval ROTC, graduating with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He immediately went to Navy OTC in Pensacola, Florida and subsequently Navigator school in Newport, Rhode Island. He was assigned to serve with the Airborne early warning system, flying EC-121 Constellation planes with full radar, which was based in Newfoundland and deployed to Iceland. After three years of active duty, he joined the reserves. While on reserve duty, he flew into Vietnam twice and Japan once. Returning to UT, he received a Master ’s degree in Psychology followed by a PhD in Educational Psychology. He became director of the University of Texas at El Paso computer center before returning to Houston in 1980 as a statistician for the University of Houston, Central Campus. He also returned to his original home in League City, which had remained with the family. In 1982 he was happily joined there for life by Juanese (Neesie) Hollingsworth. He became a biostatistician with M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and then began his long career with Krug, Life Sciences, later known as Wiley, Life Sciences, at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. After retirement, Dick and Neesie became summer residents at their mountain cabin outside of Fort Davis, Texas. Dick spent countless hours renovating and adding to the cabin, and headed up the road committee to reconstruct the mountain roads through their rural subdivision. Dick died in 2018 at his home in League City, the same home where he was born and lived most of his life. He was preceded in death by his brother, James Henry Calkins. His survivors include his best friend, companion, and devoted spouse of 38 years, Juanese Yvonne Calkins of League City, and loving daughter Dallas Smith of San Antonio; grandchildren Stephanie, Douglas and Dana Smith; his sister Elisabeth Susan Shepard of Houston, and his brother John Thomas Calkins and wife Patricia Huntsman of Houston. Memorial service will be held Saturday, September 29, at 11:00 a.m. at Lighthouse Fellowship of Friends Church, 925 3rd St, in League City.
My deepest sympathy to the Calkins family. My heart goes out to you. Our heavenly Father knows the sorrow you’re going through as you mourn your loved one. At 1 Pet. 5:7 he gives the loving assurance that “he cares for you.” May the God of all comfort be with you at this difficult time. ( 2 Cor. 1:3,4 )
I will miss Dick more than I can say. He was a caring person.
Twenty five years ago we began having lunch every Thursday and began geocaching about 13 years ago. It would take too much time to explain geocaching. Suffice to say it’s a world-wide game where, after driving to a location, you go outside and do something like an Easter egg hunt then drive to another location. After having lunch, we spent almost every Thursday afternoon geocaching. About 5 years ago I began to become too decrepit to walk distances. Dick would often scout an area first so I wouldn’t have to walk as far. He did many things for me so I could minimize exertions and continue our outings. Of course the game was mainly a reason to be together. We enjoyed each other’s company. While driving around (sometimes as far 50 miles from his home) we discussed politics and philosophy — and why women were a good thing. It was clear he loved and respected Neesie.
In 2009 he invited me to visit him and Neesie at their cabin in the Davis Mountains. I flew out. Dick drove us around the greater Big Bend area and me up to the observatories. He and I then drove back to Houston. We spent the night on the trip so we had time to hunt geocaches and enjoy our friendship along the way. I loved the entire trip — one of my late-in-life highlights.
He had interesting life stories. He was a Navy navigator during Vietnam. Since we had to drive to many locations and he was the navigator at first. I kept saying, “Man, I wouldn’t have wanted to be on one of your flights.” But, he taught me several navigator terms and techniques until finally we swapped roles — I navigated and he drove. He enjoyed driving and I enjoyed getting where we were going.
Dick was an exceptionally good friend, which I told him, but not often enough, I realize now.
CM,
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A Best Friend and Mentor