Calvin Everly

Calvin Everly was a man of many passions.

He loved his friends and family. He loved his career as a middle-school teacher. He was passionate about the outdoors and astronomy. about Notre Dame and Western Michigan University sports; about social justice and science.

He loved his cats. He loved to laugh, and his hearty laugh is one of the things that people will remember most about Calvin.

Calvin especially loved Lorraine Andrew, his wife for the past nine years and the person with whom he shared the last 11 years of his life.

Calvin’s soul left his body on Thursday, July 6. He was 82. The cause was lung failure, following a bout of pneumonia and after years of suffering from COPD.

He was born on April 27, 1941, in Detroit to Jim and Phyllis Everly, the oldest of their two sons. Jim Everly was a podiatrist and moved the family to South Bend, Ind., where Calvin grew up.

After high school, Calvin followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the Navy, serving for two years. He then worked a series of jobs, including a five-year stint as a firefighter as well as working as a truck driver and a factory worker in northern Indiana.

He finally decided to enroll in community college and then transferred to Western Michigan University. College was, he said later, a life-changing experience. He discovered a passion for science and decided to become a teacher.

After graduating from WMU, Calvin took a job as a science teacher at Lawton Middle School, where he worked for 27 years.

Calvin loved that age group and how he could share his love of science with them.

Students loved him back, and he stayed in touch with many students on social media as they became adults. Numerous former students posted tributes on social media as word of his death got out.

Outside of his work and in retirement, Calvin had a wide range of interests, from astronomy to race walking. He was a passionate sports fan, especially Notre Dame and WMU football and basketball. For years, he was a season ticket holder for WMU men’s and women’s basketball teams.

He also was a great lover of nature, and delighted in trips he took to northern Michigan with his longtime friends Rick Johnson and Jackie Ladwein. He also enjoyed traveling with Lorraine.

Calvin was married three times. He and his first wife, Patti, had two children, Colleen and Sean. He and his second wife, Anne, had a daughter, Monet.

Calvin and Lorraine were both retired teachers when they met more than a decade ago in a community class on communication. Lorraine was drawn to Calvin because he was a man who could laugh but also knew how to talk about his feelings. They married in 2014.

Calvin was preceded in death by his parents and his son, Sean. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his two daughters, his brother John, and 12 grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held Sunday (JULY 30) 12:30 p.m., at People’s Church, 1758 10th St., Kalamazoo. Visit Calvin’s webpage at BetzlerLifestory.com to archive favorite memories, photos, and to sign his guestbook. Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes, 6080 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo (269) 375-2900.