James M. Caldwell, DDS

Dr. James Murray Caldwell was called home on February 2, 2014. We were blessed with his presence on this Earth for 91 years. “Dad” was a beloved Husband, Father, Grandfather, Great Grandfather, Brother and friend. He is greatly missed. Dad was born in Mt. Clemens, Michigan in 1922, the only boy of four children. Times were hard then, and he soon began work on a paper route to bring money home for the family. Through hard work he built the route into a sale-able asset, and sold it just before entering the service in 1942. As a member of the Naval Air Corps, he became a navigator and a pilot, flying from Pearl Harbor to places like Kwajalein and Okinawa. He was chosen to be among the first to fly the new C54 four-engine transport, and did so for the remainder of the war. At War’s end, he came home and soon married Rosalie Peltier, his wife of these last 67 years. He worked in tool and die and bought a delivery company before deciding that his future needed a college degree. Attending the University of Detroit, he earned his doctorate of dental science and became a dentist, his profession for the rest of his career. Before he retired, he had patients from across the country and in Europe who would schedule appointments with him whenever they came home. His retirement party drew hundreds of friends and patients. Rosalie and Jim had nine children: Chris, Chuck, Tom, Cathryn, Mike, Dick, John, Joe and Peg. He is survived by all but Tom. An avid hunter and fisherman, Jim was described by one friend as “a Man’s man and a Gentleman’s gentleman”. He loved the outdoors and instilled in his children a love for bad weather and harsh terrain. He had a small crew of dedicated outdoorsmen he adventured with, and he would often take his boys along on trips to hunt pheasant, dip for smelt, or fly to a distant lake in Canada in search of walleye and pike. For Dad, it was always about the adventure. He always wanted to see “what was on the other side of that hill”. Dad believed strongly in leading by quiet example. He would not tell you how to behave - he would show you. For Dad, there was always only one set of values for everyone. What he expected from others was what he expected from himself. He showed respect to everyone - from janitors to Generals - and tried to teach us all that quality of character was more important than their station. He respected life in all people and in all circumstances. Jim was a founding member of St. Monica’s parish, and was devoted to his faith and his Church throughout his life. He greeted everyone with grace and a genuine warmth, and he lived life with a quiet courage regardless of the consequences. Even in the grip of terminal disease, he continued to teach us all by example. He made new friends at “New Friends”, still the gracious host to all his visitors and caregivers. Along with his wife, Rosalie, Jim is survived by eight of his children: Chris (and Laurie) Caldwell, Chuck (and Lucy) Caldwell, Katie ( and Jim) Hudson, Mike (and Mary) Caldwell, Dick (and Carrie) Caldwell, John (and Susan) Caldwell, Joe (and Liz) Caldwell, and Peg (and Martin) Greydanus, as well as with 27 grand-children and 12 great-grand children, as well as his sisters Patsy Keefe and Carol Samulski. We will not see his kind again. Visitation will be from 2:00 to 4:00pm Monday, February 3, as well as from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. A time of remembrance and a rosary will begin at 6:30. These will be at Redmond Funeral Home, 4100 Westnedge, Kalamazoo, MI. (269)343-6156. A Funeral Mass will be held at 10:00am Tuesday, February 4, at St. Monica’s Parish, 530 West Kilgore Road, Kalamazoo, MI. address. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Mary’s Catholic School, Mt. Clemens, MI or to Kalamazoo Right to Life. www.redmondfuneralhomes.net