William "Bill" Calvert

1943 - 2022

William "Bill" Calvert

William "Bill" Calvert, (just call me Bill) was born in Altadena, California on October 23, 1943. At age seven he entered an orphanage which supported 80 children and one "Aunt Cathy". He was able to become an Eagle Scout and at age 13 earned the coveted Aviation Merit Badge. That accomplishment influenced his entire life and was the first of many to come.

Bill played as a receiver for the University of Georgia football team, then voluntarily joined the Army during the Vietnam War. Once released honorably, he utilized the G I Bill to pursue his childhood dream to fly. He worked as a lifeguard on the beach at Key Biscayne, the Richard Nixon compound, to support flight training. Eventually his first assignment was to fly cargo to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. He was delivering the pipe for a construction project called The Pipeline on the North Slope.

Subsequently, Bill continued to fly cargo, building flight hours and experience, living in Puerto Rico, Belem, Brazil, Barbados and other interesting cities in South America. He ultimately was hired by Ozark Airlines, a regional carrier based in St. Louis, Missouri. He advanced through the ranks to the position of Captain.

Bill received many accolades for his safety record which included a successful landing having lost an engine which actually fell off the plane. He also was lauded for commanding a jet with a galley fire as reported by the St. Louis Post Dispatch. His colleagues at Ozark all remain close friends to this day.

In 1986, Trans World Air Airlines, a global carrier merged with Ozark and it was still made possible that Bill remained as the captain to fly the St Louis Cardinals Baseball Team. Bill flew the team with many adventures and two World Series games for five years. Bill clocked over 17,000 flight hours.

Upon retirement Bill continued to be active, enjoying football, basketball and travel especially to the big island of Hawaii.

A love for Butte developed in visiting the Mollish family in 1992, and a passion for snowboarding developed. He won a race at age 54 at Discovery Basin competing against 30-year-old men. Again, he made the front page of a newspaper, The Montana Standard.

In the last four years Bill has made the Mining City his home. He was a great booster of the Montana Tech football team. Everywhere Bill went he made diverse friends, the firefighters, policemen, people in shops and restaurants. He enjoyed the Belmont and Hanging Five for Lunch.

Bill is survived by his son, Patrick and three grandchildren: daughter Chelsea, both of Nashville, Tennessee. Michael, the son of his deceased daughter Kim, and his sister in law, Susan McMurray both of Marietta, Georgia. He will be sadly missed by Mrs. Mary Mollish and her daughter Anne who are grateful and treasure the perpetual love they shared with him.

Funeral Services will be held Friday, May 20, 2022, at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 2300 Florence Ave., Butte, MT, beginning at 11:30 a.m. A reception will follow the service in the church hall. A graveside service and burial for Bill will be held at a future date.

Please visit www.axelsonfuneralhome.com to offer the family a condolence or share a memory of William.