Obituary of John Freeman Calvert, Ph.D.

John Freeman Calvert ( Jack), passed away peacefully on March 14, 2016. A resident of Marcellus since 1954, Jack was born November 30, 1925 in East Orange NJ to Margaret Tiffany Calvert and Leonard Harvey Calvert. Raised in Rockville Centre, NY, Jack graduated from South Side High School in 1943 and enlisted in the Army Air Force at age 17. He trained at airbases throughout the South as a B-17 tail gunner. Upon completion of his service, he attended Syracuse University on the G.I. Bill. At S.U. he was a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity and ran cross country back when runners were called harriers. Jack met Eunice Davis (Davie) at S.U. and they were married in Hendricks Chapel in 1948. They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary before Davie passed away in 2008. Jack pursued his post-graduate education in psychology, ultimately receiving his PhD. from S.U. He worked as a certified psychologist for most of his career with the West Genesee School district, as well as in private practice. Jack's many interests ranged from paleontology and painting landscapes to viniculture and the restoration of the American Chestnut tree in our community. He loved projects that involved trees; planting them, making split rail fences or three legged stools. He was an amateur archeologist, helping to survey the Iroquois long house at Furnace Brook and other sites throughout Onondaga County. Jack spent many hours getting his hands dirty –digging for pottery and arrowheads or fossils, shelling on Sanibel or mining for Herkimer diamonds – and loved being outdoors. His proudest achievement was as a founder and first President of the Board of Directors of Onondaga Nature Centers, Inc., the group that inspired and founded Beaver Lake Nature Center and Baltimore Woods Nature Center, among others. He was a visionary with a "can-do" attitude, with a persistence made more effective by his gentle manners. He had a ready smile, a corny sense of humor, a twinkle in his eye and was always up for ice cream. Jack enjoyed a long retirement, and with his late wife, welcomed family and friends at their cottage on Skaneateles Lake and traveled widely in the U.S. and abroad. Jack and Davie had a close relationship with their Koinonia"K" Group, enjoying trips and monthly dinners with these friends for 40 years. Jack was an active volunteer in many local organizations in Marcellus over the years, including the Citizens Club, Baltimore Woods and Community General Hospital, and was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Marcellus. He often shared his experiences and interests, taking anyone who could swing a hammer to Herkimer and providing hybrid American Chestnut seeds to appreciative growers. At the Elderwood Nursing Home in Liverpool, he delivered several travelogues for his fellow residents from his formidable slide and photo collection. He is survived by children, Catherine T. Calvert of Chapel Hill, NC, Robert T. Calvert (Barbara) of Newbury, NH and Virginia F. Calvert (Robert Dean) of Marcellus, NY; grandchildren: Christopher Bartels, Rachel Kaplan, Bennett Kaplan, Margaret Kelly, Nichole Valerio, Robert J. Calvert, Kate Ellen Dean, Owen Dean and Elizabeth Dean, and three great-granddaughters: Claire Kelly, Schuyler Kelly and Charlotte Valerio. Also survived by his sister-in-law Marjorie Calvert of Clinton, CT, nieces Margaret Avery and Sarah Calvert, nephews Steven Calvert, David Calvert and Richard Calvert and much loved nieces and nephews of his late wife: Harry Faulknor, C. Newton Faulknor, Mary Heil, Cynthia Mitchell and their families. Predeceased by his wife Eunice; daughter, Susan C. Bartels; brothers Leonard H. Calvert and William L. Calvert. Jack will be greatly missed by his family and many friends. The family has eternal gratitude to the gentle and considerate caregivers that tended to Jack both at home and at Elderwood over the past several years. A memorial reception and celebration will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 16, 2016, at Baltimore Woods Nature Center, 4007 Bishop Hill Road, Marcellus, NY. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, contributions to Baltimore Woods Nature Center, P. O. Box 133, Marcellus, NY 13108 ( www.baltimorewoods.org) and the The American Chestnut Foundation, 50N. Merrimon Ave., Suite 115, Asheville, NC 28804 ( www.acf.org) are greatly appreciated.