Video from 1945
Jack Calderon, eulogy by Grandson John Coe

ON BEHALF OF THE FAMILY, THANK YOU FOR COMING. I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TODAY TO BE THE VOICE OF THOSE OF US WHO LOVED JACK CALDERON, OUR POPPOO.

WE GRANDCHILDREN HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WRITE DOWN OUR FONDEST MEMORIES OF POPOO, AS WELL AS EXPRESS OUR FEELINGS ABOUT HIS INVOLVEMENT AND INFLUENCE IN EACH OF OUR LIVES. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO BE TIED TO DEFINING THOSE MEMORIES TO PARTICULAR MOMENTS, AS POPOO HAS BEEN AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR LIVES SINCE THE DAY WERE ALL BORN. NEXT TO OUR FATHERS, POPOO WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT MAN IN OUR LIVES, AND FOR SOME OF US HE WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT MAN IN THEIR LIVES.

THE MEMORIES WERE SEPARATE AND INDIVIDUAL AND YET A NUMBER OF RECURRING QUALITIES EMERGED.

FIRST, POPPOO WAS A KIND, GENTLE, LOVING AND GENEROUS FAMILY MAN, WHO HAD A LARGER-THAN-LIFE, MAGNETIC, CHARISMATIC PERSONALITY.

WE REMEMBER JACK CALDERON AS A BIG, STRAPPING MAN WITH SPARKLING BLUE EYES, MOVIE STAR GOOD LOOKS, AND A MISCHEVOUS SMILE. HE HAD A COMMANDING PHYSICAL PRESENCE, WHETHER SLEEPING ON THE COUCH OR SWIMMING IN THE POOL. (HE WAS THE ONLY MAN WE KNEW WHO COULD GET AWAY WITH A SPEEDO.) WE GRANDCHILDREN THOUGHT HE WAS THE COOLEST PERSON WE KNEW.

POPOO WAS A POPULIST. IF SOMEONE REFERRED TO HIM AS “MR. CALDERON” HE SAID, “CALL ME JACK!” POPPOO TOOK GREAT DELIGHT IN MEETING PEOPLE AND REACHING OUT TO EVERYBODY. HE HAD AN AURA OF WARMTH, AS WELL AS A UNIQUE ABILITY TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL SPECIAL AND LOVED. HE HAD LEGIONS OF FANS WHEREVER HE WENT. IT WAS NOT JUST WHAT HE DID, BUT WHO HE WAS. THAT WAS JACK CALDERON.

WHO CAN FORGET THAT POPPOO HAD AN IMPISH AND PLAYFUL PERSONALITY . HE WOULD OFTEN GOODNATUREDLY TEASE US (USUALLY TO EMBARRASS US IN FRONT OF OUR FRIENDS OR WORSE, OUR DATES). THEY WERE ALL HARMLESS TEASING AND PRANKS. HE WOULD TAKE US TO R-RATED MOVIES AS KIDS, AND TELL US NOT TO TELL BUBBIE (WHICH WAS THE FIRST THING WE DID OF COURSE). HE WOULD ALSO BUY US ADULT CARDS, OR INAPPROPRIATE GIFTS , TYPICALLY TO GET A RISE OUT OF OUR PARENTS OR BUBBIE. IT ALWAYS DID. WE HAD A LOT OF THESE MEMORIES.

KNOWING POPPOO, YOU KNOW THIS WOULD NOT BE THE PLACE TO REPEAT MOST OF THESE STORIES, AS MANY HAVE AN R-RATING!.

PAPPOO SEEMED TO BE ABLE TO SAY AND DO WHATEVER HE WANTED. TO US, POPPOO WAS SIMPLY LARGER THAN LIFE.

IN BOTH HIS WORDS AND ACTIONS HE DEMONSTRATED HIS LOVE FOR US. POPPOO TAUGHT US THAT NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE LOVE YOU HAVE FOR FAMILY.

DESPITE HIS FRIENDLINESS TO OTHERS, AS HIS GRANDCHILDREN, WE KNEW WE WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN HIS WORLD. EVERY GREETING FROM POPOO BEGAN WITH A LOUD “I LOVE YOU!” AND A KISS. EVERY GOODBYE WAS A LOUD, BOISTEROUS “I LOVE YOU!” AND A KISS.

POPOO’S WIFE AND FAMILY MEANT EVERYTHING TO HIM. VIRTUALLY EVERYTHING HE DID WAS DONE WITH HIS WITH THE LOVE OF HIS FAMILY AND THEIR BEST INTERESTS IN MIND.

HE WOULD COME TO DANCE RECITALS, OUR MUSIC RECITALS, HANG OUR PAINTINGS, LISTEN TO OUR STORIES OF OUR SUCCESSES AND SETBACKS, AND NO MATTER WHAT, HE WOULD ALWAYS TELL US “GOOD JOB HONEY” OR I LOVE YOU HONEY.” (EVEN IF WE WERE HORRIBLE, BUT ESPECIALLY IF WE WERE HORRIBLE) STORY (dance recital Poppoo cried because he was laughing so hard)

POPPOO LOVED TO TAKE US TO MOVIES. HE WOULD TAKE US TO LUNCHES AND DINNERS REGULARLY. IT WAS ALWAYS HIS TREAT. HE LOVED TO SPEND TIME WITH HIS GRANDCHILDREN AND GREAT GRANDCHILDREN. ESPECIALLY THE GREAT GRANDCHILDREN. EVERY TIME ONE WAS BORN, HE WOULD TELL US THEY WERE BEAUTIFUL (BECAUSE HE THOUGHT THEY ALL LOOKED LIKE HIM).

NO REFLECTION WOULD BE COMPLETE WITHOUT MENTION OF POPOO’S INCREDIBLE GENEROSITY. HE WORKED HARD ALL OF HIS LIFE TO SUPPORT HIS FAMILY. WE LIVE IN A TIME WHERE WORK IS CONSIDERED AN OVERALL MEASURE OF ACHEIVEMENT. OUR PAPPOO TAUGHT US THAT THIS WAS NOT SO. WHILE HE ENCOURAGED US TO STRIVE TO BE OUR BEST, IT WAS ALWAYS FOR A HIGHER PURPOSE, THE FAMILY. ALSO, IN TODAY’S WORLD MANY PEOPLE SQUANDER THEIR FREE TIME ON INSUBSTANTIL PURSUITS. BUT POPPOO USED HIS FREE TIME ENHANCING HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS FAMILY.

WHEN HE WORKED NIGHTS, HE SLEPT DURING THE DAY. SOME OF OUR FONDEST MEMORIES, ARE OF US AS KIDS PLAYING (USUALLY LOUDLY) AT BUBBIE AND PAPPOO’S HOUSE, WITH PAPOO IN THE THICK OF THINGS, SLEPING SOUNDLY, OBLIVIOUS TO THE NOISE.

HE TOOK THE ENTIRE FAMILY (CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN AND SPOUSES) TO DISNEYLAND AND HAWAII. SOME OF US WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO TRAVEL WITH BUBBIE AND PAPPOO INDIVIDUALLY. LUNCHES AND DINNERS WERE REGULAR OCCURENCES. HE BUILT US GO CARTS OUT OF USED LETTUCE BOXES AND ROLLERSKATES. HE BROUGHT HOME BOXES OF FIREWORKS ON THE FOURTH OF JULY. HE GOT US JOBS.

POPPOO SIMPLY INDULGED US. HE DIDN’T WANT HIS LOVED ONES TO LACK FOR ANYTHING. HE WAS ALSO NEVER JUDGMENTAL. HE LOVED US BOTH BECAUSE OF, AND SOMETIMES IN SPITE OF, WHO WE WERE OR WHAT WE DID.

POPPOO WAS GENEROUS IN SUPPORTING HIS COMMUNITY AS WELL. ON YOM KIPPUR HE WOULD NOT ONLY BUY THE HONOR OF JONAH AND THE WHALE TO READ, BUT WOULD PURCHASE MANY OTHER HONORS FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY. HE LOVED TO READ IT LOUD ENOUGH, SO WE COULD ALL HEAR NO MATTER WHERE WE SAT. HE WOULD ASK. DID YOU HEAR ME?? THIS TAUGHT US A GREAT LESSON IN SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY.

BUT IT WAS NEVER ABOUT THE MONEY WITH PAPPOO. PAPPOO WAS GENEROUS WITH HIS RESOURCES-- NOT TO ACQUIRE MATERIAL THINGS, BUT TO ACQUIRE SPECIAL MOMENTS WITH THE FAMILY. HE TAUGHT US ALL THAT OUR RESOURCES ARE BEST USED NOT TO SEEK FAME, FORTUNE OR MATERIAL GAIN, BUT TO CREATE MOMENTS IN TIME WITH OUR LOVED ONES. PAPPOO TAUGHT THESE LESSONS BY THE WAY HE LIVED. HE SET THE EXAMPLE.

EACH OF US HAVE OUR OWN SPECIAL MEMORIES OF PAPPOO. EACH OF THESE MEMORIES IS A GIFT WE GIVE OURSELVES WHEN WE BEGIN TO MISS HIM.

WE WILL ALL STRIVE TO CONTINUE PAPPOO’S LEGACY OF LOVE AND GENEROSITY. WE WILL CONTINUE TO USE THOSE LESSONS IN OUR DAILY LIVES. AS A RESULT, POPOO’S LEGACY WILL LIVE ON THROUGH US BY THE WAY WE LIVE OUR LIVES, TREAT OUR SPOUSES, RAISE OUR CHILDREN AND SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY. WE ARE THESE KINDS OF PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THE MAN JACK CALDERON WAS.

MANY OF US HAVE BEEN BLESSED BY SPOUSES WHOM WE LOVE, HONOR, CHERISH, RESPECT (SOMETIMES FEAR) THANKS TO A LIFETIME OF WATCHING OUR POPOO SHOWING US HOW HE MADE CERTAIN THAT BUBBIE WAS KEPT HAPPY.

MANY OF US HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH OUR OWN CHILDREN AND HE PROVIDED A BLUEPRINT OF LOVE AND TOLERANCE, AND EQUALLY IMPORTANT, OUR OWN SENSE OF PLAYFULNESS IN RAISING OUR OWN OFFSPRING.

WE ARE THE LUCKIEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD TO HAVE HAD POPPOO AS OUR GRANDFATHER. THOSE WHO BECAME POPOO’S GRANDCHILDREN BY MARRIAGE HAVE EXPRESSED THAT THEY NEVER FELT LIKE THEY WERE VIEWED ANY DIFFERENTLY THAN HIS “REAL” GRANDCHILDREN. HE LOVED THEM TOO.

LAST YEAR MY WIFE EXPRESSED TO ME THAT SHE WAS CONFLICTED: SHE WAS ETERNALLY GRATEFUL FOR HAVING POPOO IN HER LIFE (EVEN IF THAT WAS A MUCH SHORTER TIME COMPARED TO ME) BUT SADDENED AND ENVIOUS OF THE LIFETIME THAT I HAD HAD, THAT SHE DID NOT.) IT MADE ME REALIZE THAT HAVING A MAN LIKE POPPOO IN MY LIFE AND THE LIVES OF MY COUSINS WAS NOT AN EVERY DAY EVENT. IT WAS SOMETHING SPECIAL TO BE CHERISHED.

EVEN THOUGH WE HAD A LIFETIME OF POPOO’S INFLUENCE AND HE LIVED A LONG, FRUITFUL LIFE IT STILL WASN’T ENOUGH TIME.

WE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS MOMENT TO THANK POPOO’S CAREGIVERS, MOST NOTABLY MY AUNT JACKIE FOR THE NURTURING CARE AND TENDER MINISTRATIONS YOU’VE PROVIDED FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS. WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK JULIE AND LUCIEN FOR BEING SO MUCH MORE THAN CAREGIVERS. JACK LOVED YOU BOTH VERY MUCH. THANK YOU FOR TREATING OUR POPOO SO WELL.

WE LOVE YOU POPPOO.
THANK YOU.