Santa Rosa, California resident Myles Callum passed away on 4-21-2022 at age 88.
He was born in Lynn, Mass., in 1934, to Abraham Edward Callum and Ann Edith Caswell.
At Stamford (Conn.) High School he was president of his junior class, president of the Debating Society and German Club, king of the junior prom, a Junior Rotarian, and was chosen to attend Nutmeg Boys’ State.
He attended University of Connecticut and NYU, majoring in English and journalism. At Uconn, he was an announcer and newscaster on WHURS, the college radio station. At NYU he was editor of Vulture the college humor magazine.
He Volunteered for the draft in 1954 and attended Army Intelligence school in Fort Holabird, MD. Upon graduating the served with the Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC) in Seoul, Korea.
At 21 he sold his first freelance magazine article to Boys; Life Magazine, and that was followed by sales to Pageant and other Magazines. He was hired as an editor and staff writer at Good Housekeeping, where he wrote hundreds of nonfiction articles and was later promoted to Director of Special Publications.
In 1970, he became managing editor of Better Homes and Gardens, in Des Moines, Ia. That was followed by a 20-year stint at TV Guide, his favorite job. For twelve years he wrote up all the new TV series for the Fall Preview Issue, and for eight years he had his own column, the Videocassette Report, as movies came onto video.
He was the author of two books, “Body-Building and Self-Defense,” and “Body Talk,” a book on body language. He was listed in Who’s Who in America for more than 35 years.
After retiring from magazine journalism, he turned his love of crossword puzzles into a profitable hobby when he became a puzzle constructor. His hundreds of puzzles were published in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, L.A. Times, Washington Post, and syndicated in more than 150 other papers. A lover of word puzzles, he also constructed word-search puzzles, anagrams, cryptograms, rebuses, and other forms of wordplay puzzles for Portable Press and the “Brain Games” line of puzzle books.
He enjoyed reading, billiards, and chess, and was a championship Army volleyball team in Korea. At Stamford (CT) High School he played varsity soccer. He loved animals and birds and spent several happy years as a junior curator at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center in Connecticut. In later years he was a member of CouchSurfing, an international organization of people who host travelers at no charge. He enjoyed numerous parties, trips and get-togethers with other CouchSurfers in the Santa Rosa area.
He adored and is survived by his two daughters, Deborah Lynne Callum of Santa Rosa and Jennifer Anne Callum of San Francisco, who rescued him from Jersey City to the beauty and Mediterranean climate of Santa Rosa, Cal.; also survived by sister-in-law Frances Callum of Roswell, Georgia, niece Christie Love (Gary) of Alpharetta, Georgia, niece Andrea Fori-Catura (Paul) of Sunnyvale, California, Darren Fori (Gina) of Albany, New York, and other great-nieces, great-nephews and cousins.
Miles, a life well lived- a life fully lived! No surprise, he showed the vitality, interest, intelligence, commitment and talent as a student in high school! He was always a star and he continued to shine through out his life!
The scope of his many and varied careers is stunning,
I cherish the memory of being "his queen" at our Jr. Prom!
Joel Freedman
Myles Harris Callum
April 4, 1934-April 21, 2022
Santa Rosa, California resident Myles Callum passed away on 4-21-2022 at age 88.
He was born in Lynn, Mass., in 1934, to Abraham Edward Callum and Ann Edith Caswell.
At Stamford (Conn.) High School he was president of his junior class, president of the Debating Society and German Club, king of the junior prom, a Junior Rotarian, and was chosen to attend Nutmeg Boys’ State.
He attended University of Connecticut and NYU, majoring in English and journalism. At Uconn, he was an announcer and newscaster on WHURS, the college radio station. At NYU he was editor of Vulture the college humor magazine.
He Volunteered for the draft in 1954 and attended Army Intelligence school in Fort Holabird, MD. Upon graduating the served with the Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC) in Seoul, Korea.
At 21 he sold his first freelance magazine article to Boys; Life Magazine, and that was followed by sales to Pageant and other Magazines. He was hired as an editor and staff writer at Good Housekeeping, where he wrote hundreds of nonfiction articles and was later promoted to Director of Special Publications.
In 1970, he became managing editor of Better Homes and Gardens, in Des Moines, Ia. That was followed by a 20-year stint at TV Guide, his favorite job. For twelve years he wrote up all the new TV series for the Fall Preview Issue, and for eight years he had his own column, the Videocassette Report, as movies came onto video.
He was the author of two books, “Body-Building and Self-Defense,” and “Body Talk,” a book on body language. He was listed in Who’s Who in America for more than 35 years.
After retiring from magazine journalism, he turned his love of crossword puzzles into a profitable hobby when he became a puzzle constructor. His hundreds of puzzles were published in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, L.A. Times, Washington Post, and syndicated in more than 150 other papers. A lover of word puzzles, he also constructed word-search puzzles, anagrams, cryptograms, rebuses, and other forms of wordplay puzzles for Portable Press and the “Brain Games” line of puzzle books.
He enjoyed reading, billiards, and chess, and was a championship Army volleyball team in Korea. At Stamford (CT) High School he played varsity soccer. He loved animals and birds and spent several happy years as a junior curator at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center in Connecticut. In later years he was a member of CouchSurfing, an international organization of people who host travelers at no charge. He enjoyed numerous parties, trips and get-togethers with other CouchSurfers in the Santa Rosa area.
He adored and is survived by his two daughters, Deborah Lynne Callum of Santa Rosa and Jennifer Anne Callum of San Francisco, who rescued him from Jersey City to the beauty and Mediterranean climate of Santa Rosa, Cal.; also survived by sister-in-law Frances Callum of Roswell, Georgia, niece Christie Love (Gary) of Alpharetta, Georgia, niece Andrea Fori-Catura (Paul) of Sunnyvale, California, Darren Fori (Gina) of Albany, New York, and other great-nieces, great-nephews and cousins.
He will be dearly missed.
Joan Wienski (Jaworowski)
Miles, a life well lived- a life fully lived! No surprise, he showed the vitality, interest, intelligence, commitment and talent as a student in high school! He was always a star and he continued to shine through out his life!
The scope of his many and varied careers is stunning,
I cherish the memory of being "his queen" at our Jr. Prom!
With heartfelt sympathy ,
Joan Wienski Jaworowski
Peter Telep
One of the smartest kids in our class...good sense of humor...great life achievements ...rest in peace Peter Telep