Few options to stop state’s insurance change
October 21, 2014Cheramie, Richard, Thibodaux vie for assessor job
October 21, 2014
Friends and family of Edwin Callais remember an honest, hard-working and caring man – the kind of guy who would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it more than he did.
They remember an avid gardener who harvested thousands of tomatoes over the years among his array of plants. And okra? He knew a thing or two about that, too. He grew so much of it over the years that his nickname among many folks was the “Okra Man.”
Callais died on Oct. 12 at the age of 85 after a lengthy medical battle that started years ago when he suffered a heart attack and two subsequent strokes.
He was buried on Oct. 21 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Cut Off – remembered by all as the loving, kind man that he was to all.
“My dad was a great man,” said Ed Callais, Edwin’s son. “He was the kind of guy who was all about his family. We were always going to see aunts and uncles or relatives – anything for family. I wrote the eulogy for his funeral, and it was actually difficult to do because it was difficult to sum up all that he did and all that he meant in a short amount of space. He was that kind of man. He meant so much to so many.”
For Edwin Callais, so much of his life and his heart in early life was lived inside of a small family neighborhood in Cut Off. He was brought into the world by parents Eva and Forest Callais Sr., both of whom he preceded in death.
“He was the youngest boy in a family of 13,” Ed Callais said. “He was always around family. But that’s how he wanted it.”
Ed Callais said one thing he will miss the most about his father was his simplistic, fun-loving way in which he viewed the world. The son remembers his father as a man who always loved good music, good jokes and a good riddle or two – even if he had to make up a song or joke to make someone laugh.
As a loyal employee of Halliburton for most of his adult life, Edwin Callais had two favorite colors – red and grey.
Callais worked for the oilfield conglomerate after serving nine years in the U.S. Army, fighting for our country during the Korean Conflict.
“Everything we had was red and grey. Those were his two colors – red and grey,” Ed Callais said with a laugh. “And in fact, at his funeral, his flowers were arranged to be red with a grey ribbon. He loved his job. He loved the company that he worked for.”
With Halliburton, Callais was a 7-on, 7-off employee. During his off days, Ed Callais said his father delved into his gardening – a hobby and passion that he came to love.
The son shared a story about his father’s passion, touting that he made a sign to place on family property proclaiming that South Lafourche, Cut Off and more specifically, his property, were the “Okra Capital of the World.”
“He loved to be outdoors doing his gardening or anything like that,” Ed Callais said. “He must have had 10 or 12 tractors and only two ever worked. He loved having projects. He’d buy tractors knowing that they had parts he needed to fix his others that were broken.
“As a kid, we were always on a tractor or working outdoors or learning whatever we could from our dad.”
Callais is survived by his son Ed; daughter Theresa; stepson Gerald Dantin; and stepdaughter Carol Dantin. He has four grandchildren, four step-grandchildren, a great-grandchild and five step-great-grandchildren.
“His grandkids made him light up,” Ed Callais said. “He loved them so much.”
After Edwin Callais’ procession, family and friends gathered to enjoy a meal to celebrate the man’s life, which was spent loving others.
The final words of his eulogy said it best. “It is not goodbye, Mr. C,” it reads. “It’s until next time.”
COURTESY
Cut Off native Edwin Callais (pictured in center) is shown with the people he cared for most – his family. The local man passed away on Oct. 12 after a lengthy medical battle stemming from a heart attack many years ago. Known as “The Okra Man,” Callais loved to garden and mingle with people.
