Richard Patrick Calhoun
Feb. 10, 1930 - July 20, 2019
Resident of Danville, CA
Richard (Dick) Patrick Calhoun was born in Randall, MN on Feb 10, 1930, the tenth of 13 children born to George Edward Calhoun and Clara Christina Portz. He met Darlene Mildred Hawkinson at Bemidgi State University, and they were married in 1951. During the Korean War, he served in the U.S. Army as an Assistant to the Chaplain, at Camp Rucker, AL. He completed his undergraduate studies at Michigan State University, and then moved to California in 1953 to study law at Berkeley. He completed his Juris Doctor in 1957 and began his law practice in Danville.
Dick soon found that he was best suited to a judicial career and is remembered by colleagues and those who appeared before him as a fair man of integrity. He served on the Danville Justice and Walnut Creek-Danville Municipal Courts for nine years before being appointed by Governor Reagan to the Superior Court in 1973. An article in the San Francisco Examiner reports he was named the 1977 Humanitarian Jurist of the Year. In 1982, he was appointed to the newly-formed position of Traffic Commissioner for Contra Costa County, where he served until his retirement.
Family was the cornerstone of Dick's life. He was a beloved and devoted father, husband and grandfather. He and Darlene had eight children: George, Colleen, Kathy, Connie, Joseph, Richard, Annie and Mary. That sense of family was felt by all. The door to their home was always open, and many will remember the warm welcome and generosity of spirit.
Dick was a devout Catholic Christian, committed to charity and service and near-daily attendance at St. Isidore. He served over 50 years in the Danville Rotary Club, including a term as Club President in 1968. He was inducted into the Knights of Columbus in 1981 and the Fourth Degree in 1982 and continued to serve as an active member for over 35 years.
Dick died peacefully and is reunited with his cherished wife and son Joseph. He is survived by his seven other children, 22 of his grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. A funeral mass will be held at St. Isidore in Danville on Tuesday, August 6 at 10:30am, followed by a bereavement lunch. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the church.

View the online memorial for Richard Patrick Calhoun
Published in East Bay Times on Aug. 3, 2019