Kevin Kit McCallum's Obituary - Published 6/15/2008

Kevin Kit McCallum.

He was my husband, my father, my son, my son-in-law, and my friend.

     He was rock solid, all of the time.

I knew I always liked him but I remember the exact moment I fell in love with him. We had been skiing and, after we finished, we had to catch a public bus back to our homes. He was wearing his dress shoes and carrying both of our bags as any true Southern gentleman would. As he walked across the icy parking lot, he fell no less than 5 times with his slick dress shoes. He got up and continued every single time. I knew that a man who wouldn’t quit would always take care of me; this was a person I could build my lifetime around and always know that if he fell down, he would always get back up. When I arrived home, my mother asked me if I had a good time and I told her, “I am going to marry Kevin McCallum”

     He was rock solid, all of the time.

Dad was my real life superhero. I loved his killer smile. When dad hugged me, he had a way of completely surrounding me, he was like my security blanket. Dad was the kind of man you want to marry. He taught me the important life lessons - be brave, try hard, never give up.

     He was rock solid, all of the time.

Kevin was my role model and my anchor. As my oldest brother, he always went first and, as a result, showed me how to do things - whether it was a class in school or deciding on a job, he always advised me based on his experience. I idolized my big brother. He always included me with his friends, who were older. If I had been left out, Kevin refused to join until all of his brothers were invited. He told me “my best friends on this earth and the people I would rather be with than anyone are my brothers.”

     He was rock solid, all of the time.

Kevin was a very humble son and did not like to brag or have others brag on his success. I feel fortunate to have the four most wonderful sons in the world - and as my oldest, Kevin was the family leader. He followed in my footsteps. I am extremely proud he chose to attend the United States Naval Academy. He made me more proud than I ever thought I could be. He accomplished so much in his short, but full, 46 years.

     He was rock solid, all of the time.

I was so very thankful and grateful that my daughter chose such an outstanding person. Kevin and Cathy stayed with us during graduate school and he was always so thankful and grateful. He was constantly trying to figure out something he could do for us. When he worked at Procter and Gamble, Kevin won tickets to a race and took me to say thank you. But Kevin was so gracious that one thank you was never enough for him. Just this year, Kevin got tickets to another racecar event and took me again.

     He was rock solid, all of the time.

Kevin was the energizer of all of us. He had the rare gift of being able to recharge us when we needed it with his attitude and vigor. I could always count on him to fulfill his responsibilities and make the right choices. An experience with Kevin was all about making it fun and including everyone. He enjoyed life and enjoyed being him. Just by his degree of intensity. Once he stepped in, he set the expectation for everyone. He always sought out opportunities for leadership. He was a remarkable storyteller – understanding the right mixture of humor, seriousness, and timing.

     He was rock solid, all of the time.

Kevin died June 10, 2008 at age 46 in Draper, Utah where he has lived with his family since March of 2000.

Kevin was born on October 10, 1961 in Corpus Christy Texas to Carl Paul and Marilyn Jean Bach McCallum. He is the oldest of four brothers - Cary D. McCallum, Christopher M. McCallum, and Carl P McCallum Jr. “Chip”

He married his teenage sweetheart, Cathy O’Kelly in May of 1985.

He graduated from Wheeler High School where he played varsity soccer, ran cross country and track, and was president of his student council. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy and graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science in 1984. Following his five years of service to his country in the Navy, Kevin he attended Georgia Tech where he received his Masters of Business Administration.

Kevin began his professional career at Proctor and Gamble where he worked for nine years as a brand manager and later director and then moved to 1-800 CONTACTS from March of 2000 where he served as its Chief Marketing Officer.

Kevin lived in many places across the United States while his father was in the Navy but always called Atlanta, Georgia home.

He played on the US Naval Academy Varsity Soccer Team and also enjoyed many sports including skiing and baseball. He also coached highly-ranked soccer teams for boys and young men in Cincinnati and Draper.

Kevin is survived by his wife, Cathy Michelle McCallum and his two daughters, Kaitlyn and Kelsey McCallum. Kevin was expecting to become a grandfather in the next few weeks. His parents, his brothers, and many in-laws, nephews, and nieces also survive him.

Kevin was preceded in death by his loyal Labrador Retriever - Meg .

His viewing will be held on Monday, June 16th at the Patterson Funeral Home, 1157 Old Canton Road, Marietta from 6 to 8p.m. Funeral and internment services will be held Tuesday, June 17th at 11a.m. at the John Knox Presbyterian Church of Marietta - 505 Powers Ferry Rd SE (770) 973-5050.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a memorial donation to the Boy Scouts of America.