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Callaway II, James Robert

July 17, 1943 –
 April 16, 2021

Obituary

JAMES ROBERT CALLAWAY, II – known as Jim to friends and family – passed away, Friday, April 16, 2021, in Dallas, Texas after a long battle with cancer.  He will be remembered for his passion for aviation and boating, his love of music, his steadfast curiosity in geology and physics, his dedication to his family and friends, his public service and, of course, his great sense of humor. Jim was born in Springfield, Missouri, July 17, 1943 and grew up in Austin and San Antonio, Texas.   He studied electrical engineering and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin.  He spent his professional life in and around the oil and gas industry living in Houston, Corpus Christi, and Dallas. As a teenager, Jim learned to fly gliders in Georgetown.  He credited aviation for inspiring his studies and opening doors to new adventures and opportunities that built his family, career, and social community.  Jim became an avid power and glider pilot.  He earned multiple ratings and spent weekends and summers flying his airplanes with friends around Texas.  Forever dedicated to soaring, he always strove to build and improve the sport that most impacted his youth.  Jim contributed to the growth of the Soaring Society of America and the development of several clubs around the state. He most recently founded the Hamilton Soaring Club.  Members have established a scholarship program in his honor, to assist young pilots with education and airtime. Music was an integral part of Jim’s life.  A guitarist and pianist, he continuously studied jazz technique and theory with various artists in the North Texas music community.    A former board member of Sammons Center for the Arts, Jim founded the Dallas Jazz Piano Society and Keys for Kids scholarship program.  He wanted to ensure underserved and at-risk youth had the opportunity to learn music.  The program provides a keyboard and lessons to children of demonstrated need. Jim is survived by his loving and dedicated wife of 54 years, Beth Potter Callaway; his son Robert Charles Callaway (daughter-in-law Andrea Mayer Callaway and grandchildren Kate and James); and his daughter Kathryn Callaway Freymuller (son-in-law Robert Freymuller and grandchildren Barrett and Conrad). A Celebration of Life memorial event, honoring Jim Callaway, is planned for Saturday, May 22, 2021 at 6 p.m. at the Frontiers of Flight Museum, 6911 Lemmon Ave, Dallas, TX.  The family asks guests to kindly RSVP via private email, text, or call. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Dallas Jazz Piano Society – Keys for Kids Scholarship Program 5128 Rain Forest Trail Plano, TX  75093 or the T. Boone Pickens Center at Faith Presbyterian Hospice 12477 Merit Dr. Dallas, TX 75251. Please leave the family condolences and share memories on this website.  

Arrangements under the direction of:

Aria Cremation Service and Funeral Home

19310 Preston Road

Dallas, Texas 75252

(214) 306-6700

    Martina Bachmann
    12 May 2021
    8:55am

    We are deeply sorry to hear about the death of Jim. Please accept our heartfelt condolences on the loss of a loved family member. Jim was such a wonderful person, and he will live in our memories for ever. We wish the family a lot of strength in this difficult time.

    Dr. Roland Mayer-Bachmann and Martina Bachmann

    Mike Miller
    29 Jul 2021
    6:27pm

    I’m so sorry to hear of Jim’s passing. He was a very kind help to me as we became Dieterich Standard reps in the early 1980s, and he continued to be a friend and someone I looked forward to visiting with throughout our careers.

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"I can’t say enough about how helpful and professional Dusty Martin, the funeral director at the Aria Cremation location on NW Highway has been. From my initial call, he was kind and informative. My friend died at home while on hospice and she was picked up in about an hour after receiving the call from the hospice nurse. The person who arrived to pick her up was also very professional/respectful and allowed us to take as much time with her as we wished. When I met with Dusty the next day about arrangements, he explained the process and options available without being pushy or trying to “sell” extras. Throughout the process, he kept me informed and, for example, was careful to be certain I understood the cost of the obituary I wanted and offered some options for reducing that cost if I wished. When I stopped by for another reason and started talking about some of the problems I was having with the pictures and media I hoped to use at a memorial lunch I was planning, he not only listened patiently but offered technology advice and let me use his personal media player. I have had experience arranging cremations for four others using two other local companies, and this experience with Dusty at Aria has been by far the best one I have had."
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"My Daddy’s service and our family experience at Aria Northwest Highway was truly blessed. Funeral Director Dustin Martin is the kind of person that you would like to see on a more regular basis – but in his industry – you hope to not see him that often. That being said – THANK YOU DUSTIN for your unending kindness, compassion and friendship through the process. Meeting you and discussing Dallas History, Find A Grave and my Dad’s lifelong contributions to the great City of Dallas was simply wonderful! In memory of my dad James A. Dodd, Sr. – I want to personally thank you and let you know that you made everything better in that moment. Your calling to “Be There” is spot on. Aria has a one in a million guy in you! Bling Blinky of TEXAS Shout Out: God Bless You!!"
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