Birth date: Nov 16, 1926 Death date: Oct 23, 2016
Don Calac, 89, of Escondido, passed away in Sun City, California on Sunday, October 23, 2016. A Celebration of Life Memorial will be held at Emmanuel Faith Community Church on Saturday, November 5,2016 at 10AM. Burial will follow Read Obituary
I well remember Don Calac as my neighbor on 6th street in Escondido. He sat dinner with me at my Blue & Gold Cub Scout event. He was a Fisherman then in the 1950's and many times shared fresh Tuna off the boat he worked on in San Diego which may mom appreciated. He was a great influence to me. Thanks Don RIP
I was reading an article this morning in the Las Vegas Review Journal, about two cousins named Calac from the Rincon tribe outside Escondido who volunteered in 1917 to enlist in the US Army to fight in World War I. They were in Las Vegas building a railroad when they volunteered. It was an excellent story about bravery and sacrifice and I made sure to point it out to my son who is a 17 year old army recruit who begins basic training in June (2017).
I realized I had met another member of the Calac family in 1981, Don Calac, a Rincon tribal chief who was supervising construction of some tribal homes my father in law was building on the reservation. I was a recent transplant from Boston and the first Indian chief I ever met was an MBA from USC and one of the finest gentlemen I had ever met. I told my stories to my son about this brilliant down to earth man who had developed a career for himself but continued to be a leader in his community.
My son is almost fifty years younger than me and grew up in a far more accepting time than I did, but I can still share the printed story and my own memory of these two past generations of the Calac family with him and give him something to measure himself against.
To the family of Don Calac, I hope this brief memory comforts you somehow.
Don Connors
Las Vegas, NV
April 2, 2017
Very sorry to hear of your passing. I remember as a young man my Dad always talked very highly of you. You were a very well respected man in North County.
Always ready to help anyone that needed it.
You may be out of sight, but you will always be remembered for the man that you were.
R.I.P. Don.
