Obituary of Ronald Callahan

Ronald J Callahan a retired mechanic and member of the Woburn sportsman's club passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, May 29, 2012. He was 70 years old. Ron was born in the family homestead on Fletcher Street, Lexington in 1942. He was the son of the late Paul and Florence Callahan. He attended the Lexington Public schools and was a graduate of the Minuteman Tech Vocational High School. He had made his home in Lexington until 2000, when he moved to Woburn. Ron had worked at the Pleasant Street Garage in Belmont and Burlington Dodge as a mechanic. He had also worked for a security firm. Ron was a quiet and humble individual. Ron's big passion was that of Rifle shooting. He had an incredible knowledge of firearms and was a talented marksman. He was a longtime member of the Woburn Sportsmen’s Club and would often share his knowledge with members and on online chat forums. He won many shooting competitions over the years. He was also a member of the Gun Owners Action League. Ron also enjoyed working on and with computers. He also had an extensive music collection, which included all sorts of music genres. Ron had a kind heart, who always would lend a helping hand, but he never wanted to be the center of attention. His passing was unexpected and is difficult to accept by all those who loved and cared for him. Ron was the Beloved fiancé of Carol (Calvert) Palmer of Woburn. He was the brother of Paul Callahan, Jr. of Winchester, Elizabeth Garibotto of Burlington, Donald Callahan of Concord, Robert Callahan of NC, Barbara Perrotta of Lexington and the late Ann Gannon and William Callahan. He was also survived by many nieces, nephews and extended family & friends. Funeral from the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON (exit 34 off Rt. 128, Woburn side) on Saturday, June 2 at 9 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Margaret’s Church, 111 Winn St., Burlington at 10 a.m. Visiting hours Friday from 4-8 p.m. Interment in Westview Cemetery, Lexington. Memorials in Ron’s name may be made to the American Parkinson Disease Association, 72 East Concord St., C3, Boston, MA 02118. Eulogy for Ronald J. Callahan Saturday, June 2nd, 2012 Saint Margaret's Church, Burlington By Paul L. Callahan III – Nephew If there are any awkward pauses in this, Carol gave me some funny responses last night as I gathered thoughts and she promised to remind me of them this morning. I certainly hope they help cover any choking up on my part. I very rarely wear much emotion on my Facebook 'sleeve' but, enough of the people on my friend list there knew Ron, and he meant so much, so I posted a few thoughts Thursday. I had no idea it was an audition to do bigger things like this. It is an honor to speak in this setting about him. My first reaction when asked if I would say a few words was &quote;Boy do I feel inadequate to summarize seven decades of his life!&quote; I mean, I certainly know my time living under the same roof at the family homestead with him, but there are his early years as a kid growing up with his siblings, and the past twenty fantastic years that he and Carol shared. That's a lot of memories! I hope to represent as many of you and as much as possible. I've been uniquely privileged to be in Ron's family, but also to have spent enough time at Carol's house growing up to feel like Chris, Mark, Michelle, and Derek were siblings, and to understand later on how all of their senses of humor were right in-step with Ron's when they got together. And to know Ron was to know he had a tremendous sense of humor. He was a master of keeping things light. Maybe even a little irreverent at times. It was not uncommon for someone calling the body shops at Pleasant Street Dodge or Burlington Dodge when he worked there to hear &quote;shoddy bop&quote; instead of &quote;body shop&quote;, just to test your hearing and get a reaction. His late sister Ann Marie described him as having a &quote;happy go lucky&quote; personality and urged him to never lose that. It was infectious. Growing up with eight children meant for tight quarters. The upstairs front bedroom at Eight Fletcher Av. had the boys, two to a bed. I'm told it was not uncommon to hear the sounds of silent battles for pillows and space coming from the bed Ron was sharing, as whacks were exchanged after lights out and were followed by a whispered &quote;move over!&quote; Years later he turned that same room into the Atari arcade for us nieces and nephews during family gatherings (although he let the anticipation build for the door to open each time as he readied himself for the invasion!) This is not to say he loved being surrounded by people, for we all know he enjoyed his time away from crowds, but many a Christmas party or cookout were guided by his grilling kielbasa, sausage, burgers, or dogs, and one or more of the outdoor competitive games he enjoyed. Heck, as we kids got older we were the envy of many when they realized that behind the roll-away door of the barn stood a full-sized bar, beer signs, bamboo curtain wall, sports pictures and banners, a dartboard, and an 8-track/ am / fm stereo--- Lexington's own sports pub! Christmas karaoke with sleigh bells, he, and Bill Garibotto were a very fun atmosphere! Creating an 'atmosphere' of fun was a lifelong endeavor for Ron- sometimes by design, and sometimes by accident. One of the latter memorable moments occurred during his father's GenRad company outing at Canobie Lake Park when, at about age eleven, Ron's leap over a picnic table went terribly wrong and splattered Banana Fritters over all that were present. A trip he cherished much more occurred later in life when he and Carol visited Antigonish, Nova Scotia. They were able to see the family house that my Grandmother grew up in. The current resident of the MacGillvray homestead wouldn't part with a small rug or other items desired as souvenir keepsakes but, some soil, a flower, and the chance to walk through and see the fireplace that Florence had described drying her clothes at, were extra meaningful. Family was always important to Ron and knowing where his Mother had grown up mattered a lot. Ron being the youngest of eight and single for many of the years my cousins and I grew up made him the &quote;cool&quote; Uncle. Not that the rest of you were not cool. I realized as life went on that once he had our attention he certainly didn't waste it. Many of life's lessons were helped by his common sense. Upon getting older, several nephews began inquiring about a motorcycle Ron had in the barn, but was no longer using. He turned back the requests to sell it saying he didn't want to be in that position should a mishap ever occur afterward and one of them get hurt. He had our attention because of it and used it to speak about driving safely and watching out for others. Ron was a patient man. Not just for putting up with all the nieces and nephews, but also with his daily care for his Mother as she encountered the difficulties the elderly often do. This continued with regular visits throughout her years at Pine Knoll Nursing Home. For me personally, I was blessed to have 26 of my years with Uncle Ron upstairs at our house. No set of parents could wish for better supplemental assistance raising children during their formative years. Near-daily input on all topics; expert training on shooting firearms and handling them safely at Tewksbury Rod and Gun Club, Woburn Sportsmans Club, or with the air gun in the sign shop--- (this has proved to be invaluable with my career choice); helping him make the horseshoe pits and enjoy countless games with so many people for years afterward; using that closet full of hockey gear to play street hockey and learn to bleed black and gold from he, my Dad, and the rest of the family's love of going to Bruins games; repairing endless things in the barn; adding flowers and plants to the yard; and countless other things. So, whether he called you &quote;kiddo&quote;, brother, sister, neice, nephew, partner, or fiancee....... know that he is no doubt already calling Florence &quote;Flora Dora&quote; and asking Trixie if she is &quote;Gooonnnnna talk?&quote; Trixie, for those of you who don't know, and before the name makes your minds wander, was the beloved family dog and Ron's best buddy for so many years. Ron, was a man who made growing up at 8 Fletcher Avenue, and lots of other places.......so enjoyable. Rest peacefully Uncle Ron.