Ronald Earl CALAHAN Obituary (2025)

Ron Earl Calahan was born to Earl and Dorothy Calahan on June 25,1945 at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Yakima. Five years later, his brother Don was born into the family. He graduated from Toppenish High School and attended Yakima Valley College. In 1965, shortly after school, he began his service in the United States Army Reserve where he served as an Executive Chef in Fort Huachuca, AZ, and then a Drill Sargeant until his honorable discharge in 1971. Ron was the Men's and Boy's Department manager at JCP. A few years later he started his career working as a Long-Haul Freight Dispatcher. He made some good friends in those years and still has some of them today. In 1968 Ron met and married Mary Lou Wellner, joining a large farm family. They had three children: Sean, Kevin and Tawnya. Through the years the family grew to include five grandbabies and one great grandson. These kids were the biggest joy of Papa Ron's life. When Fall time of the year came, a Fall Harvest was held at the Calahan's pasture. These grands and cousins would bob for apples, guess a pumpkin's weight hoping to be the winner of the prize and go on hayrides with Papa pulling the wagon around the pasture with his John Deere. They were tired and would warm up by the fire to finish the day. Christmas offered its own kind of fun with so much laughter all night long. One Christmas Eve, a long time ago, while gathered in the living room, just after opening Christmas presents, there was a loud banging on the front door. It opened and in came Santa Claus. He was dressed in red with a red bag, filled with Christmas goodies thrown across his shoulder, and while raising a beer he shouted, "Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas." It was Papa. Everyone burst into uncontrollable laughter. Bad Santa was born. For all the years after that Bad Santa came pounding on the door and everyone laughed just as hard and as long as the very first time he came to visit us on Christmas Eve. Papa was a teaser, jokester and a friend to all. He could also be kind of cranky at times, but he was still ours. Cutting Christmas trees and building with Seth, going duck hunting with Cooper, watching Shawnee barrel race, watching Sydney play soccer and Morgan play tennis, watching them all learn and grow into perfect young people probably filled him with the most delight and made him the most proud, his heart was full. Ron was a master at making furniture, yard decor and deer out of old wood, then sold them at the Farmer's Market for several years. Doing so made him happy and proud to have made something others would enjoy for years. Throughout the years Ron loved the woods, hooking the Hideout up to his Ford, loading it up and telling Lou to get in, they were ready to head out. They never went anywhere without the other for 57 years. After Ron knew he was sick he just wanted to be with family and to watch the snow fall one more time. That wasn't meant to be. He is gone now, healed and reunited with his son, Kevin. Ron is survived by his wife, Lou, son Sean (Dawn Heibel), grandson Cooper, granddaughters Sydney and Morgan Calahan, daughter Tawnya (Steve Powell), grandson Seth and great grandson Brooks Powell, granddaughter Shawnee Powell and his brother Don Calahan, many friends, brother and sister in-laws, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his little boy, Kevin, and his folks. We miss you already Papa. Thank you for bringing the "Ho, Ho, Ho," to us for so many years. FUNERAL SERVICES will be held on Wednesday, August 20, 2025 at Holy Family Catholic Church. A viewing is scheduled at 9:00am with a Mass of Christian Burial beginning at 10:00am. A Graveside Service will follow the Mass at Calvary Cemetery. A reception will follow the Graveside Service.