Michael Stephen Callan

Michael Stephen Callan

October 5, 1934 - August 4, 2012

Michael Stephen Callan passed away peacefully, surrounded by family members, on Saturday, August 4th. Mike was born in Pasadena on October 5, 1934. In 1940, he moved with his parents, Don and Libby Callan, to Belmont Shore in Long Beach where he grew up with his sister, Nancy Callan Mauger. Mike learned to fish at an early age and quickly developed a lifelong love of the sport. He spent many evenings at Alamitos Bay waiting for the big catch. Mike attended Lowell Elementary, Rogers Junior High, and Woodrow Wilson High School where he was a member of the varsity track team. He graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1952 and received a track scholarship to Oregon State, but decided to attend Long Beach State College (now California State University Long Beach, CSULB) instead. Mike was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He graduated from Long Beach State College in 1957 with a bachelor's degree in business. While he was a student at Long Beach State College, Mike met Shirley Ann Williams. They wed on July 26, 1959 and had been married for 53 years when Mike passed away. Mike and Shirley had three daughters, Jennifer, born in 1962; Judy, born in 1964; and Jill, born in 1968. Mike joined the U.S. Air Force in 1957. He served in the U.S. Air Force Reserves until he was honorably discharged in 1963. IIn 1960, Mike was able to combine his love of fishing, hunting, and other outdoor sports with his career when he went to work with his father as a manufacturer's representative at Callan Western Sales Company. He was a highly successful salesman who represented a variety of fishing equipment and sporting goods manufacturers, including Diawa Corporation, Precise International, and Wham-O Manufacturing. Mike sold their wares to national and regional retailers including Big 5, Sports Chalet, and Costco. He never missed an opportunity to "field test" the products of the companies he represented while fishing on his beloved boat, the Seaway, and was even featured in an advertisement for one of them, Micron fishing line. Mike became the President and Chief Executive Officer of Callan Western Sales Company in 1982 and held that position until he retired in 2007. Mike was an avid angler who won many fishing tournaments and held many angling records. He was a member of the Southern California Tuna Club, the Avalon Tuna Club, and the Long Beach Yacht Club. Mike's idea of a perfect day was rising before dawn, heading out of the Long Beach Marina on the Seaway with his fishing buddies, searching for big fish in the deep ocean waters off the southern California coast, at first with only instincts and binoculars and later with the help of electronics, and then spending a couple of hours reeling in a Marlin. Mike also enjoyed fishing in other locations such as Alaska, Costa Rica, and Mexico. He was generous with his advice and helped many to catch their first Marlin. Mike belonged to several organizations that promote marine conservation. Mike was preceded in death by his parents, Don and Libby Callan. He is survived by his wife, Shirley; his daughters, Jennifer Jones (Dan), Judy Klein (Michael), and Jill Callan; his sister, Nancy Mauger (Ralph); his brother-in-law Harold Williams (Leigh); his nephews, John (Dina) Mauger and Stephen (Leigh Ann) Mauger; and his grandchildren, Lindsey and Trey Jones. Mike will be missed by not only his family, but also by his lifelong friends, fishing buddies, and professional colleagues. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that those who wish to make a donation in memory of Mike to CSULB Marine Biology Department Scholarships send them to the Southern California Tuna Club Foundation, 6289 East Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach, 90803. A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, September 14th at 11:00 a.m. at the Long Beach Yacht Club, 6201 E. Appian Way, Long Beach, 90803. Please sign the Press Telegram guest book.