Eric Calhoun

ERIC CALHOUN Commitment to service marked Eric Richardson Calhoun's life. He spent it joyfully in dedication to his wife and children, the larger Richardson family, the Greensboro community, and a wide variety of organizations working for the greater good. From a young age he lived by a heartfelt code learned at Camp Agawam, whose principles were founded on the sense that one's life should be dedicated to acts of kindness and service to others. His life and achievements embodied that ethos, and while his work in this life is done, the impact he had on his family members, countless friends, and the world beyond live on. Eric passed away peacefully at the age of 71 on November 16, 2018 in Wilmington, North Carolina after spending six months fighting a degenerative neuromuscular disease. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Mary Sitterson Calhoun; his brother, John and Charlotte Calhoun; sister-in-law Sue Calhoun; his brothers-in-law Curtis Sitterson, Joe Sitterson and Lisa Nanney; his aunt Anne Carlson; and Mary and Eric's four children: Rich and Katie Calhoun, Carly Calhoun and Sam Despeaux, Nancy Calhoun and Brian Kilkelly, and Beda Calhoun and Gordon Klco; as well as four loving grandchildren, whom he adored, Gage, Ber, Sigrid and Boden Calhoun; and nine nieces and nephews. He has been predeceased by his parents Newton Sudduth Calhoun and Beda Carlson Calhoun, and his brother, David Calhoun. Eric was born in Charlotte, North Carolina on January 30th, 1947 and spent his childhood with his older twin brothers, John and David, in Connecticut. He graduated from The Hotchkiss School in 1965, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1970. He then married Mary Howard Sitterson, and they began their married life by packing up their Jeepster and heading West. They made a home in Jackson, WY and spent several years exploring the mountains, forming a bond with the place and friends that would last his lifetime. They returned to North Carolina where Eric earned his MLA in Landscape Architecture from NC State University before settling in Greensboro, where they raised their four children. Eric dedicated his forty-year professional career to Richardson Properties, twenty years of which he served as president and CEO, leading and growing the company before retiring in 2015. In addition, he acted as vice chairman of Piedmont Trust. He was deeply committed to many organizations, serving in leadership roles for the Greensboro Science Center, Greensboro Day School, Greensboro Farmers Curb Market, Family Service of the Piedmont, Piedmont Land Conservancy, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Rocky Mountain School, and Camp Agawam. His good-heartedness and wry humor accompanied him through the well-trod routes of his favorite places, be they barbeque joints or boards of directors. In his empty nest adult life, his annual walkabouts explored open country: hiking the depths of the Grand Canyon, slot canyons and red rocks of the American Southwest; driving in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado; and most recently returning to New Zealand, a place of his early adulthood, with his wife, Mary. His was a life lived well, full of friendship and love, and an enduring commitment to making the world a better place. The memorial service will be held at 2pm Monday, November 26 at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Greensboro, NC. Followed by a reception at Proximity Hotel, 704 Green Valley Road. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to any one of the following, the nature and number of which bear witness to Eric's spirit: Greensboro Science Center, Greensboro Farmers Curb Market, Family Service of the Piedmont, Piedmont Land Conservancy, and NC Coastal Land Trust.