Paul A. Calhoun

Paul A. Calhoun, husband of Joanne Surkamer Calhoun, died peacefully in his sleep on June 25^th, 2010, surrounded by his family.  The relatives and friends of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Anthony Calhoun are invited to attend the memorial services of the former, Tuesday, July 6, 2010 at eleven o'clock in The Circular Congregational Church. The burial will be private.

Mr. Calhoun was born in Roanoke, Virginia on December 1, 1939, the son of Garland E. Calhoun and Lorena Creasy Calhoun.  He lived there until going to college at Virginia Tech, where he earned a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Metallurgical Engineering. He was married to Joanne Surkamer, his high school sweetheart, for 46 years.  Mr. Calhoun worked at IBM Burlington for thirty years, where he was head of Manufacturing Engineering and was involved with the early development of the computer chip industry.  While working for IBM he was one of the original team of people that set up manufacturing technology at Sematech in Austin, Texas. After retiring from IBM he was plant manager for the Honeywell semiconductor facility in Richardson, Texas and then became the East Coast Director of Technology for KLA Tencor in Essex, Vermont.  In 2002 he retired to Charleston, SC.

Mr. Calhoun's major passion was reserved for his work, his family and helping others. He spent countless hours taking his girls to swim team practice and coaching his son in Little League.  He served on the board of directors at the Burlington Tennis Club and was an officer of the Burlington High School Booster Club.  After retiring, he loved showing his grandchildren how to crab and fish off the dock.  He also was an active member of S.C.O.R.E. (Senior Corps of Retired Executives) where he mentored people starting up a business for the first time. Paul was an active member of Circular Congregational Church, where he served as chairman of the finance committee and co-authored a book about the church, The Circular Church: Three Centuries of Charleston History. He also loved mentoring  and tutoring students at Burke High School and at Burke Middle School and volunteering as a  tutor for a first grader at James Simons School as part of Charleston Book Buddies Volunteers for Literacy program.

He is survived by three children: Jennifer Campbell of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Paul A. Calhoun, Jr., of Essex, Vermont and Tina Olsen of Norfolk, Connecticut and by seven grandchildren: Allison and Andrew Campbell of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Connor and Jordan Calhoun of Essex, Vermont, and Elias, Ellie and Olivia Olsen of Norfolk, Connecticut.  He also had two foster sons who came to America from Vietnam, Buu Chau of Long Point, Mississippi and Tuan Chau of Burlington, Vermont.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be sent in his name to Charleston Volunteers for Literacy at Coastal Community Foundation, 90 Mary St., Charleston, SC 29403. Arrangements by J. HENRY STUHR, INC., DOWNTOWN CHAPEL.