Obituary of A. John Calhoun

A. John Calhoun, 86, of Manalapan Township died at his home on Thursday, April 17, 2014 surrounded by his family. The funeral will be at the First Presbyterian Church of Englishtown on Tuesday, April 22 at 11:00 A.M. with Rev. Cynthia Ritter-Parker and Rev. Diedre Thomson officiating. Burial will be in Old Tennent Cemetery, Tennent. Visiting will be held at the Higgins Memorial Home, 20 Center Street, Freehold on Monday from 2:00 to 4:00 and 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Born January 4, 1928 in Watertown, NY, he was the only child of Anson F. and Mabel S. DeYoung Calhoun. Having first practiced church music during his school lunch hours at Asbury Methodist church, Calhoun graduated from Watertown High School in 1946, and from the Crane Department of Music at Potsdam State Teacher’s College in 1951. He earned a Minister of Music degree from Westminster Choir College, Princeton in 1956. He served as a chaplain’s assistant in the army at Camp Gordon, GA from 1951-1953. He married Vilma L. Csipo, daughter of Louis and Helen Kopar Csipo, on June 30, 1956 at the First Presbyterian Church, Perth Amboy with Rev. Dr. Andrew M. Sebben officiating. After residing for four years in Royal Oak, MI, the couple lived in Edison for twelve years before moving to Manalapan. Mr. Calhoun was a retired music teacher for the Perth Amboy School District. He served as minister of music at the First Baptist Church of Royal Oak, MI; then in the same capacity for 15 years at the First Presbyterian Church in Perth Amboy. He also served as organist and choir director for ten years at the Lincroft Presbyterian Church in Lincroft and briefly for the Old Tennent Presbyterian Church, Tennent. Mr. Calhoun’s hobbies included his beloved dogs, model railroading, gardening and woodworking. He spent years carving a model church sanctuary as well as miniature pieces of furniture out of balsa wood. Surviving besides his wife Vilma are a daughter, Roberta D. (James) Calhoun-Eagan, Canandaigua, NY; two sons, J. Kevin (Bern) Calhoun, Sonoma, CA; and Dave M. Calhoun, Beachwood; daughter-in-law, Lori Calhoun of Manalapan, and grandchildren Alexandra, David, John and Andrew Calhoun and Caitlin Jolicoeur. Memorial donations may be made to the Westminster Choir College, 101 Walnut Lane, Princeton, NJ 08540 or First Presbyterian Church of Englishtown, 50 Main Street, Englishtown, NJ 07726.