Rev. J. Lyal Calhoun

Rev. J. Lyal Calhoun, of Braintree, went home to be with his Lord Thursday, Aug. 18, 2011. Beloved husband of the late Norma Calhoun, he was the devoted father of Larrie Calhoun of Los Angeles, Susan Gardner of Braintree, Gary Calhoun of Braintree and Randy Calhoun of Hudson, N.H. He was the cherished grandfather of Tracy (Gardner) Kiser, Ed Gardner, Jody (Gardner) Brown, Jim Gardner, Stacy Calhoun, Brian Calhoun, Andy Gardner, Bobby Gardner (deceased), Patrick Calhoun and Caitlin Calhoun; and great-grandfather of Jeffrey, Jayme, Jacky and Jonny Kiser, Jered, Brandon and Adam Gardner and Owen Brown. Lyal was born in Jonesborough, Tenn., the seventh of eight children. After growing up as a country boy, he graduated from Eastern Nazarene College in 1944, and returned the following year to earn his degree in theology. He married Norma Allen on Jan. 20, 1945, and together they pastored churches in Massachusetts, Maine and New York. While pastoring in Potsdam, N.Y., he earned his master's degree in Education from St. Lawrence University. He returned to ENC in 1963 to teach English and various education courses while also earning his PhD from Boston University. After retiring from ENC in 1982, Lyal and Norma moved to West Harwich, where he enjoyed tending his gardens, spending time with friends and family, and serving as interim pastor in the Nazarene Churches in Framingham, New Bedford and Wareham, and the Covenant Church in Brockton. Lyal will be remembered as a loving, faithful husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and uncle, as well as a caring pastor, teacher and mentor. He will be dearly missed by all who were blessed to have known him. A memorial service was held Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011, at the Wollaston Church of the Nazarene, 37 E. Elm Ave., Quincy. Donations in memory of Lyal may be made to Eastern Nazarene College for the Calhoun-Gardner Families Scholarship Fund. Please note For the Calhoun-Gardner Families Scholarship Fund" on the memo line. Eastern Nazarene College, 23 E. Elm Ave., Quincy, MA 02170.