Jesse Raymond Callahan

Jesse Raymond Callahan, 98, husband of Gail McCutcheon Callahan, died Sunday, July 18, 2021, at his residence in Lake City, SC, surrounded by people who loved him. Mr. Callahan was born January 31, 1923, in Savannah, Georgia, to the late Walter Lee and Pearl Reynolds Callahan.  He was a longtime resident of Jasper, TX.

Mr. Callahan earned his pilot’s license at age 14. He enlisted in the US Army the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. During WWII, he served as both paratrooper and a pilot.

After the war, he was discharged and joined the newly formed US Air Force, where he achieved the rank of Technical Sergeant and earned his credentials as a communications specialist.

He retired in 1963 and went to work for International Telephone & Telegraph. While working for them in Greenland in 1967, he was recruited by NASA and was part of every major mission from Apollo to the Challenger.

Mr. Callahan was preceded in death by his wife, Lue Runions Callahan; his daughter, Patricia Stultz Leger; and his two brothers, Walter and Eugene Callahan.

He is survived by his wife, Gail McCutcheon Callahan, of Lake City; daughters, Johnnie Gail Callahan and Phyllis Howard (Dennis), both of Jasper, Texas; step-daughter, Tammy Lord (Philip) of Aiken, SC, and step-son, Levon McCutcheon (Leslie) of Lake City; ten grandchildren, eighteen great-grandchildren, and seven great-great grandchildren.

A memorial service, officiated by Rev. Jack McElveen, will be held on Friday, July 23, 2021, at 11:00 AM, at Cameron United Methodist Church, in Lake City, SC. Visitation and a meal will be held in the church fellowship hall following the service.

Memorials can be made to Disabled American Veterans or Cameron United Methodist Church, PO Box 1108, Lake City, SC 29560.

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