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From the Dallas Morning News:
CALLAWAY, James R. (Jim) JAMES ROBERT CALLAWAY, - 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 commitment to 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 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 or the T. Boone Pickens Center at Faith Presbyterian Hospice. https://obits.dallasnews.com/obituaries/dallasmorningnews/obituary.aspx?n=james-r-callaway-jim&pid=198524593
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Wayne Clawson
So sorry to hear of James passing. May god bless him and his family. RIP James
Claude Feistel
Jim was a good friend in early school days when our families lived almost next door on Aggie Lane. I remember visiting sometimes after school to talk about model airplance, and ideas about models we were building. One day we discovered that you could put the rudder in the front instead of behind and there was a history of that type of design. (Such a small memory that one is.) We both worked at the Austin startup technology company Textran (later named Tracor). Then it was on to college work and Jim started a degree program at MIssippi State in aerospace but he returned to Austin where we both finished bachelor degrees. Some time later he owned an aircraft (maintenance I think) business in Dallas, so he never lost his interest in that area. We last visited at the McCallum 50 year class reunion and enjoyed a dinner at Pappadeaux's next door to the reunion hotel. Maxine and I send our condolences to his wife Beth and the family.
Richard (Dick) Barr
I enjoyed knowing Jim in high school but we did not stay in touch after graduation. He called me at home here in Dallas last year and we had a long talk about things, including flying and his battle with cancer. He was in the process of selling off his business interests in preparation for his departure and was hoping to be around to come to our next reunion. He seemed like the same Jim and it was great visiting with him. I will miss him.
His wife, Beth, wrote to ask that his classmates be notified of his passing. His obituary will be published in the Dallas Morning News and at www.ariacremation.com and linked from this website when available.
Wayne Clawson
I went to see James at the Hamilton Airport about 6-7 months ago. We had a great visit. He was here teaching some Hamilton HS students about flying in gliders. RIP James.
Pat Ross (O'Brien)
God bless and hold Jim's family under his protective wing.
Jon "Mike" Detlefsen
Sorry to hear about Jim passing. I'd talked to him by phone and text a number of times in the last two or three years, as recently as a month before he passed. We were both novice guitar players back in high school, that's how we met. Our paths diverged a bit: he went into jazz playing and I went into classical, but we still had a mutual interest in guitars. I was happy to call him a friend, even though we had not been face-to-face in 25 years.