Carla Cavanaugh

Carla Fay Calka Cavanaugh was born on March 29th, 1951 in Cass City, Michigan to Bronislau “Curly” Calka and Pauline Calka. Carla was the second of five girls growing up in the small, close-knit community in “the thumb” of Michigan. Curly and Pauline owned and operated The Eat Shop, a 9-foot-wide diner in the heart of Cass City; the young family lived in the apartment above the shop until 1956. The young Calka girls often used the parking lot behind the shop as their playground, within eyeshot of their incredibly industrious parents. Curly, a first-generation Polish-American, simultaneously operated The Eat Shop, a taxi service, and sold real estate with the United Farm Agency; the origin of a distinguished 40-year real estate career.

Carla absolutely idolized her father. Carla’s dad had a rare magnetism that made him an adored figure within the Cass City community. Curly was a civic leader and was named “Citizen of the Year” in 1989 by his Cass City peers. He had an unforgettably deep, boisterous laugh, an impish twinkle in his eye, an unwavering kindness, plus the rare ability to befriend a perfect stranger within mere seconds with a playful question or a disarming joke. If this sounds like Carla, it’s because she embodied the spirit of her beloved father in so many different ways, while still forging her own beautiful and joyous path.

Carla walked through life radiating with an energy field of kindness that fueled her megawatt smile. Carla was a daymaker; constantly lifting people up and making others feel comfortable to be their authentic selves around her. She would seldom go out in public without running into at least half a dozen friends or acquaintances; a quick trip to the grocery store often turned into a two hour gabfest; a new conversation on every aisle. Carla loved everyone but was especially drawn to gregarious goofballs, like herself.

After graduating from Cass City High School, where she was an all-state cheerleader and named to the homecoming court, Carla took a memorable trip to protest the Vietnam War on The National Mall in D.C. before traveling across the state to Kalamazoo in the fall of 1969, where she attended WMU to pursue a sociology degree. Carla’s love of Kalamazoo began to take root during her college years; starting when she met her core group of college friends, affectionately referred to as “The Cuties”, and capping off with meeting the man she’d eventually marry during her final days at Western.

Carla met Jim while they both worked at The Metropol, an upscale French restaurant and bar in the building that is currently The Radisson. They hit it off immediately and were inseparable for nearly the next five decades.

Always a hippie at heart, it was during this era that Carla traveled by the combination of touring bike, multi-ride rail pass, and the occasional hitchhiking ride on a journey that took her out West to Phoenix and Los Angeles to visit friends; eventually making her way south where she biked from New Orleans to Biloxi, MS with little more than a gallon jug of water and a few dollars in her pocket.

It was during these early years that Carla made a trip to Los Angeles with Jim (both making an appearance on the popular game show, The Joker’s Wild) before continuing the cycling tour to Big Sur, hitchhiking up the scenic Highway 1 coast to Monterey, and then bicycling all the way to San Francisco to meet up with Carla’s sister and one-of-a-kind friend, Dan Austin.

Jim and Carla spent a few years living in Santa Rosa, CA in the early 1980’s before moving back to Kalamazoo to sell real estate as a couple. In 1982, after seven years of dating, the pair exchanged their vows surrounded by family and friends in Caseville, MI; the beginning of a beautiful marriage that spanned 42 years. The newly married couple quickly settled into their favorite neighborhood in the city, Westnedge Hill, where they made lifelong friendships with the many extraordinary families in the community. Everybody in the neighborhood knew and loved Carla. Along with Jamie Miller and Natalie Patchell, Carla helped to form the original Westnedge Hill Neighborhood Association and the annual Westnedge Hill Garage Sale that is still going strong to this day.

In 1987, Carla and Jim welcomed their only son, Cameron. It’s not hyperbolic to say that even the most talented Hallmark Card writer couldn’t begin to describe the type of world-class mother that she was to Cameron. Carla was beloved by Cameron’s friends too. Whether it was telling spooky stories to a carful of elementary-aged boys en route to the haunted house, Ninja Turtle-themed birthday parties (often including a Survivor-inspired competition and pie fights), or shagging fly balls in the the outfield while Jim threw batting practice to the kids, Carla loved every minute being around Cameron and his friends.

Jim and Carla eventually permanently moved to their Eagle Lake home that Carla fondly referred to as their Hansel and Gretel cottage. Carla loved to garden and valued the grounding benefits of getting her hands and feet in the dirt as she added to her beautiful, ever-expanding nature oasis by the lake. In 2005, Carla opened Cavanaugh Antiques and Interiors in one of the historic buildings in Mattawan. It didn’t take long for Carla to make a positive impact in the Mattawan community. Carla was very active within the Mattawan Business Association and played a vital role in the revitalization of downtown Mattawan. Carla was recognized with a special tribute by The State of Michigan, The 2016 Business Longevity Award, acknowledging her dedication as a community leader and success as a businesswoman.

Carla was always happy to be back home after a trip away but absolutely loved to travel. From countless road trips spanning 46 of the contiguous states, to biking through the streets of Paris or cracking up the locals in Ireland, Carla touched hearts far and wide. However, some of her most cherished travel memories were the August days spent with her entire family at her parents’ cottage in Caseville, often swaying arm-in-arm with her sisters and loudly singing out-of-tune over the songs of Bob Marley and enjoying the Lake Huron breeze.

Carla is survived by her husband, Jim Cavanaugh; son, Cameron Cavanaugh; four sisters: Linda Calka, Mona (Gary) Compton, Cindy (George) Duba, and Lori Brock; sisters-in-law: Kathy Cavanaugh, Patricia Cavanaugh, and Jeanne Cavanaugh; brother-in-law: Bob (Sandy) Cavanaugh; many beloved nieces and nephews, and a very special aunt who was near and dear to Carla’s heart, Dottie Calka.