John Allen Calhoun was born in Aurora, Missouri on February 12, 1951 to Fern and Norman Calhoun and passed away in San Diego, California on May 30, 2023 at the age of 72 after a long illness.
He leaves behind his wife, Gloria; children Tiffany and Justin Calhoun, Tabitha Michaelson and husband, Matthew; three grandchildren Makayla, Molly, and Mitchell Michaelson; one sister, Carolyn Calhoun; and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his brother Bill Calhoun; his parents; and his grandparents, Florence and Bert Calhoun, and Ola and John McNatt.
John grew up on a small farm in Aurora, Missouri. After the passing of his mother at age 16, he moved to Marionville, Missouri where he graduated from high school in 1969. His education continued at Southwest Missouri State University, where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Husbandry. He went on to receive his Master’s Degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Missouri at Columbia. Following graduation, he became a schoolteacher in Larimore, North Dakota, then Butler, Missouri. He later became a Farm Management Specialist employed by the University of Missouri.
Still searching for more, John left his career in education to become a financial advisor in 1982 – a career he would excel at for 32 years, eventually ranking in the top 1% of all financial advisors in the United States. He went on to study at Wharton, the business school of the Ivy League’s University of Pennsylvania. After retiring from his career in finance, he continued working at what would become his favorite job: real estate development. He was still enjoying that work at the time of his death.
John loved living a life of adventure. He was a marathon runner, an avid outdoorsman, and a world traveler, eventually visiting six continents. Some of his fondest memories involved travel – from sailing his catamaran in the Bahamas, to white water rafting in Zimbabwe, to riding mules on the Pacific Crest Trail. A lifelong pilot, he also logged thousands of hours operating his own planes across the country.
Nevertheless, John also thoroughly enjoyed a more average life at home. He loved to play loud music and grill a steak while eating a bag of potato chips. He loved being surrounded by family, and he loved teaching them the lessons of his life. In his last few years, he often asked to go to church, and frequently listened to sermons at home.
John had an indelible spirit that left a mark on everyone he met. His business acumen, toughness, and unique personality earned him the respect of people around the world, to say nothing of his family and close friends. We know there is an airplane flying high through Heaven with rock music blaring and a bag of Ruffles in the seat next to a very happy pilot.
John was appreciated, John was loved, and John will be missed.
Funeral service for John will be Thursday, June 29, 2023 at 12:30 PM at Greenlawn Funeral Home East in Springfield, Missouri with a reception following from 2:00 to 4:00 PM at Highland Springs Country Club. A private family burial will be at Pinnacle Memorial Gardens on Saturday, July 1 in Rogers, Arkansas.
Flowers are welcome, but in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of your choice.