Jack Calhoun
Jack Calhoun Named as the 2023 Doddridge County
Posthumous Citizen of the Year
Jack Calhoun has been named as the 2023 Doddridge County Posthumous Citizen of the Year by the Doddridge County Citizen of the Year Committee. Jack’s daughter Jackie Cox was presented a plaque in honor of her father on Saturday, September 16, 2023.
Jackson Hayes Calhoun, known as “Jack” went to be with Jesus on May 17th, 2020, after a long and wonderful life. Born on February 11th, 1931, he was the sixth child and fourth son of the late Willie Guile and Rebecca Schmidt Calhoun of Avondale, and a great grandson of the farmer featured on the WV State Seal, Henry Schmidt. While in high school he worked at Michels Pharmacy in West Union and Pennsboro, making ice cream. In 1948 Jack joined the United States Navy as a hospital corpsman, serving at Anacostia Naval Station near Washington, D.C. for four years and gaining medals as a veteran of the Korean and Cold Wars. On January 19th, 1952, he married Betty Lou Gain, the daughter of the late Burlin (“Junky”) and Bernice Gain, then of the Big Flint community, a marriage that was to endure for 60 years until Betty’s death from cancer on March 23, 2011. Jack joined his family’s business, Bridge Chevrolet, in West Union in 1952 employed as a mechanic, a parts man, salesman, and finally general manager. Sixteen years later he joined the staff at Harry Green Chevrolet in Clarksburg as a traveling salesman before rising to be manager of Used Trucks, Used Cars, and New Trucks, celebrating his retirement from there February 1993, after 25 years. He was for over ten years a member of the Legion of Leaders, an organization comprised of the top ten percent of salesmen in the United States, and later as manager. He also belonged to the Society of Sales Executives.
In 1993 Jack, Betty, and daughter Jackie opened J & J Flower Shoppes in West Union, with Jack and Jackie as co-managers and Betty as bookkeeper, now Melanie Cox Blair. Their business closed in 2020.
Jack was a member of the American Legion for over 60 years and was honored as Veterans Day Parade Marshal in 2013 and granted a diploma from Doddridge County High School in honor of his service to our country. He was a founding member of the Doddridge County Emergency Squad, serving as vice president of the board and being recognized as Volunteer of the year. He also served on the Board of Directors for over 30 years. Further, he was a member of the West Union Fire Department and also a life member of the Doddridge County Historical Society.
Jack was preceded in death by his parents Willie and Rebecca Calhoun, by four brothers all US Navy Veterans, William Schmidt Calhoun, Robert Thomas Calhoun, Philip Blair Calhoun, and Rev. Samuel Edward Calhoun, sisters Anita Belle Calhoun Brown and Bettie Lee Calhoun Fox and his wife Betty Lou Gain Calhoun. He is survived by two children, Jacqueline Dawn Cox (Alan), and Michael Calhoun of Springfield, VA; two grandchildren, Angela Dawn Hayhurst (Anthony “Tony”) and Melanie Ann Blair (Ben); three great-grandchildren, Brandon and Daron Nicholson, and Nathaniel Blair; two step-children, 3 step-grandchildren and several nieces, nephews, and grandnieces and nephews.