Jerry "Will" Callaway Obituary
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| 1947-2021 |
Will is survived by his wife of 50 years, Allie; sons and daughters-in-law, David and Shannon, Todd and Nicole; and 4 grandchildren, Tristan, Drake, Carson, and Keegan; brother and sister-in-law, Rodney and Barbara Callaway; sister, Darlene Gilbert; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Bill and Barbara Hutensky; and many loving nieces, nephews, and relatives. He was preceded in death by his brother, Max Callaway.
Will was born in 1947 in Sweetwater, TX to his parents “Smokey” and Maxine, the youngest of four children. Will honorably served our country as a soldier and a court reporter in the United States Army. After leaving the Army, he was a freelance court reporter, reported for Judge Sarah T. Hughes, and started a court reporting firm in Dallas. Will was an accomplished court reporter, often recognized for his service and many contributions to the profession and the people in it.
Will was a kind and loving husband, amazing father, and friend to everyone. He lived his life surrounded by his loving family, telling great jokes and stories, never meeting a stranger. He spent his free time playing golf and fly fishing. For years he helped coach his children's sports teams, led scouting groups, and supported his children’s many, many endeavors. He loved spending time with his grandsons, telling jokes or teaching them how to hit a golf ball.
No memorial service is immediately planned. To honor Will, we ask that everyone who knew him share a special story or memory about him with your friends and loved ones.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson’s at Davis Phinney Foundation
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So sorry to get this news. Jerry was a friend since early school days here in Cisco. Cisco is a tight community and Jerry was one of us. He will be truly missed!
ReplyDeleteJerry Callaway is my cousin, our fathers were brothers. He was four years younger than me but I always admired Jerry. He was bright, had a wonderful smile and a great sense of humor. He served his country well in the U.S. Army, had a beautiful family and built a business, a well-respected court reporting firm in Dallas. In a conversation with one of my friends in our dorm at Texas Tech, Mike Hawkins, I discovered that Mike and Jerry were high school football teammates in Abilene. Mike said that he was always inspired by Jerry Callaway who was the smallest member of the team but one of the toughest players. I believe that Jerry inspired many more of his friends and relatives. He will be deeply missed in our family circle.
ReplyDeleteI have been proud to know Jerry (Will) Callaway for almost 50 years. One of my earliest encounters with Jerry was when he was the Official Reporter to Judge Sarah T. Hughes. He was always a great writer and loved to show off his real-time skills way before real-time was even a thing. He was always winning speed contests and sharing his knowledge with others of us who struggled. He was a teacher, involved on boards of court reporting schools, gave an untold number of seminars over the years, served on any committee you needed him on, was on the Court Reporters Certification Board drafting rules for court reporters to live by. I had the pleasure of being one of Jerry’s partners from 1986 until the dissolution of United American Reporters in 2015, when he and I officially retired. Jerry, even in retirement, would come running anytime TCRA needed someone to proctor a test or grade papers or sit on a budget committee. He would do anything for the profession of court reporting. He is a past president of TCRA, a Distinguished Service Award winner, a Texas Hall of Fame Award winner, NCRA Board of Directors and probably a dozen more I can’t think of right now.
ReplyDeleteOne Saturday night at a Texas Court Reporters Convention he put on a dress and became the evening’s entertainment as one of the Pointless Sisters…he brought the house down! I won’t say who the other two in dresses were…..oh, okay…Tommy Mullens was one of them.
Jerry was the easiest guy in the world to be partners with. He bent over backwards to make sure things were fair and done right. Honesty was always the best policy with Jerry, and I know our clients appreciated that virtue. It is so sad to think of him no longer with us, but I know Jerry is at peace, his mind is clear, his tasks behind him. And I know he has heard the words from our Savior…”Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
My heart feels so heavy hearing this news. Jerry was the the kindest man, a great court reporter and a true professional in every sense of the word. When my partner and I started our court reporting firm in 1993, we had Jerry and David Jackson on speed dial. They took all our calls, always answered any question we had (trust me, there were a lot) and helped in any way they could without hesitation. Competitors helping competitors, friends helping friends -- I will never forget his kindness and compassion. Jerry, you will be truly missed.
ReplyDeleteWe have lost a kind and gentle soul. The best friend anyone could ever have. Condolences to his friends and family.
ReplyDeleteJerry was a great friend, business parter, court reporter and loved the game of golf. He was very kind and considerate and would always lend a helping hand if you needed one. He was also very intelligent and could give you his opinion on almost any subject. I sought his advise many times over our close to 50 years of friendship. Rest in peace, my friend. You will be missed.
ReplyDeleteFrom September 1972 to January 2015 I had the good fortune of having Jerry Callaway as a business partner in Dallas, Texas. Jerry earned the reputation of being an excellent court reporter throughout the court reporting community as well as with trial lawyers in many different places. His work took him throughout the state, to many different states and even foreign countries. He never shied away from any job no matter how hard it might be. Jerry gave of his time and energy to the county, state and national court reporting associations in an attempt to better the court reporting profession for all. He was not only my partner but one of my best friends. We worked together, shared joyful times together and even shed a few tears together. He was a good husband, father and grandfather. He was kind and considerate to all. I will miss him tremendously. My prayers go out to his family for peace and comfort for I know he is no longer suffering. May God bless them.
ReplyDeleteI knew Jerry in Jr. High in Cisco. He was a very nice kid and always had that big smile. He was able to come to come to one of the All School Reunions several years ago. It was very nice visiting with him. Glad that he isn’t suffering anymore.
ReplyDeleteI knew Jerry because of his real-time reporting skills. He volunteered to write captions for hearing loss group meetings I attended. He probably recruited others to practice their real-time for us hard of hearing folks (so appreciative!).
ReplyDeleteI was also on the Court Reporter Certification Board and came to appreciate court reporters role in the justice system, but with a different interest. With hearing loss, captioning of videos and events with CART, opens the ears for those with hearing loss to understand better the event.
Jerry was a kind hearted man and I, like many others, appreciate his work, especially for those with hearing loss.
Richard Neely, Dallas
The tributes for Jerry on this site bring to mind a Bible verse.
ReplyDelete“How can we thank God for you and the joy and delight you have given us...”
(1 Thessalonians 3:9 TLB)
Everyone who knew Jerry is thankful for the combination of characteristics that his life represented. His kindness, honesty and professionalism made him an example that influenced and inspired in the workplace. His inherent qualities made him the perfect friend and family member. He was loyal, supportive and a good listener. He devoted his time, energy and resources to serve organizations and individuals. For those of us who were his “long distance family”, he made us feel important, valued and respected. We most appreciated his unconditional love of each and every one of us. He loved to visit the farm, enjoy nature, swap family stories about the past and Callaway ancestry. Jerry was always very proud of his upbringing in Cisco in the 1950’s. Times were simpler and harder then, but love was abundant in their home.
We always looked forward to his visits. He was very entertaining and funny. On more than one occasion he took the stage at the Cottonwood Musical to perform “The Mississippi Squirrel Revival”. He brought the house down! He was a natural on stage.
Many people were drawn to his caring, warm and genuine personality. We will remember our brother as an exceptional human being and with great love and respect. He will forever live in our hearts.
Rodney and Barbara Callaway
Jerry was my mentor and first real boss at Davis, Brock and Callaway. What fun times those were. He would borrow my Girl Scout beanie and sash and "crash" his boys' scout functions as Girl Scout Modine Gunch. I'm retiring this week after 43 years in court reporting. None of those years would have been possible without his guidance and friendship. My prayers will be with you, Allie and family, as you grieve Jerry's loss. God bless you, and God bless Jerry's memory.
ReplyDeleteMy deepest condolences to his wife and entire family. As you have heard numerous times, Jerry touched so many lives. He inspired so many and will be missed by many. Jerry was such a role model for so many (including myself) and such an advocate for our court reporting profession for so many years. He was so kind, funny and such a caring soul. I'm glad he's not suffering anymore.
ReplyDeleteRest in peace, Mr. Callaway.
.Will…today is your birthday. you would be 76 years old! i miss you every minute of every day. Thank you for being such a wonderful husband and dad to our sons. Love always…Allie
ReplyDelete