Graeme John Calow

After a long-hard fight with lung cancer, Graeme John Calow of Mineola, TX passed away Monday, October 21st, at the Louis & Peaches Owen Heart Hospital in Tyler, TX, at the age of 73 with his loving family by his side. Graeme was born in Melbourne, Australia, on November 11, 1939 to the late Alice and Jack Calow. Graeme first came to the U.S. in 1964 on a work scholarship and worked in Houston, TX on projects including the Houston Astrodome, NASA Space Center Command and Control, and Dr. DeBakey Heart Hospital. In 1967 Graeme was hired by Collins Radio Company in Australia and worked on the 210’ deep space antennas in Australia and Spain, managed major defense contracts and at the time of his retirement, was overseeing multiple classified U.S. government contracts. Graeme, falling in love with the U.S., eventually moved with his family to the U.S. where he was granted U.S. citizenship in 1983. In April 2004, he and June retired after 37 years with The Boeing Company (formerly Collins Radio and Rockwell International) and moved to their lake house on Lake Bob Sandlin. In 2007, they moved to Mineola to be close to family.

Graeme is survived by his loving wife of 27 years, June Calow, who was by his side every step of the way during his lengthy illness. He is also survived by his sons, Steven Calow of McKinney,TX, Scott Duncan (Claudia) of Dallas, TX; daughters, Vicki Duncan-Nolen (Donald) of Mineola, TX, and Jennifer Calow Bryant of Richardson, TX. Grandchildren, Cameron Benson and Shelby Roberts of Mineola, TX, Rosa, Ingrid and Sophia Duncan of Dallas, Lindsey and Allison Bryant of Richardson, TX and Donald Nolen, Jr. of Wills Point, TX; sisters, Margaret Bonella (Geoff) of Rowville, Victoria, Australia and Glenyce Smith (Chris) of Waterford, Queensland, Australia; brother-in-Laws, Larry Aaron (Loretta) of Gladewater, TX and Wayne Aaron (Teresa) of Tyler, TX. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews both in the U.S. and Australia.

Besides God and his family, Graeme loved to travel including most of Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, China, Tibet, Egypt, Turkey, India, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada, South America with the last trip, which he made to fulfill June’s desire, to Vietnam. He and June made lasting memories discovering other cultures.

Graeme was a faithful member of the First Christian Church in Mineola where he was a Deacon and a member of the Friendship Sunday School Class. He loved his pastor, Rick Son, and faithfully attended Rick’s Tuesday morning Bible studies until his illness took away his strength.

Services for Graeme will be held on Friday, October 25th, at Beaty’s Funeral Home in Mineola, TX with Pastor Rick Son officiating. Visitation will be at 10:00 a.m. followed immediately by the service at 11:00 a.m. with burial at the Roselawn Cemetery in Mineola. Pallbearers are Cameron Benson, Donald Nolen, Jr., Todd Aaron, Lance Aaron, David Nichols and Danny McKethan.

Graeme’s family would like to extend a sincere thank you to all the medical and support staff at Trinity Mother Francis Hospital and the Heart Hospital as well as all of his doctors who so lovingly took care of him during this lengthy illness and, especially, Dr. Michael Savin and the Texas Oncology Team at Medical City in Dallas, TX. Graeme was loved by everyone whose life he touched and will be remembered for his wonderful sense of humor, his quick wit, his sweet smile and the way he respectfully treated all who came in contact with him.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made in his loving memory to the First Christian Church, 209 N. Pacific St., Mineola, TX 75773.