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Calvin Falwell passes away

Posted: August 20th, 2011, 11:01 pm
by ATrain
Not sure where this would fit best, but WSET-13 is reporting that Calvin Falwell, 90, has passed away. He was a first cousin of Jerry Sr.'s. Thoughts and prayers are definitely with the Falwell family right now.

Re: Calvin Falwell passes away

Posted: August 20th, 2011, 11:08 pm
by BJWilliams
Sad to hear...may the flags at City Stadium be at half mast tomorrow night and my prayers for the family too

Re: Calvin Falwell passes away

Posted: August 20th, 2011, 11:21 pm
by Sly Fox
Praying for his family this evening. He leaves behind quite a legacy.

Re: Calvin Falwell passes away

Posted: August 21st, 2011, 12:16 am
by PAmedic
echoing the above to the whole family

Re: Calvin Falwell passes away

Posted: August 21st, 2011, 7:42 am
by Cider Jim
A great man who loved his baseball and his family and also supported LU athletics. He will be missed. Praying for the whole Falwell family.

Re: Calvin Falwell passes away

Posted: August 21st, 2011, 5:13 pm
by bigsmooth
Calvin was "Mr. Baseball" in Lynchburg! he will be missed and was a great man.

Re: Calvin Falwell passes away

Posted: August 21st, 2011, 8:20 pm
by flamehunter
Not only was he Mr Baseball in Lynchburg, he was recognized nationally. From the N&A print edition, he was "named "King of Baseball" in 2005 at the Baseball Winter Meetings in Dallas". Truly a great ambassador for the game and he will be missed. Also read an article in the Lynchburg Living magazine a few months ago about him and his wife. Some great stories about him and his family, including mention of one Tyler Falwell.
Praying for the family during this time.

Re: Calvin Falwell passes away

Posted: August 21st, 2011, 9:39 pm
by Hold My Own
Thank you all. He was certainly a father and hero to me and many others ranging from civic groups, well drilling, aviation, Fire Dept, transportation and so many other areas.

Just Wed he and nanny celebrated their 69th wedding anniversary and Pastor Jonathan stopped by to spend a moment with them and have an amazing prayer and Chancellor gave them a call to congratulate them. Then on Thursday my father drove them around Liberty's campus to see all the construction and my father asked him "Who would have imagined all of this?" his answer was simple. "Ha! Jerry Falwell" :)

He encountered a minor heart attack on the way to the Hillcats game yesterday but luckily it was in a portion of the heart that you cannot feel. Few minutes after he regained consciousnesses and was completely back to normal at the hospital kidding around with all of us and the nurses not knowing what happened and couldnt feel any pain from it. About an hour later he had another which he never regained consciousnesses from. He was never in pain and he was on the way to watch the Hillcats play like he does every night...and he wouldnt have wanted it any other way.

Thanks for all the kind words. He will be missed by many.

Re: Calvin Falwell passes away

Posted: August 21st, 2011, 10:03 pm
by Sly Fox
Thanks for sharing, HMO. It seemed everyone I knew in minor league baseball felt like Calvin was their uncle & mentor. His impact on the game will be felt for generations.

Re: Calvin Falwell passes away

Posted: August 21st, 2011, 10:27 pm
by bigsmooth
HMO, thanks for taking the time to share that brother. prayers going out to you and your family.

Re: Calvin Falwell passes away

Posted: August 21st, 2011, 10:33 pm
by TDDance234
So sorry to hear about this. Calvin was a legend around Lynchburg. Condolences to his family.

Re: Calvin Falwell passes away

Posted: August 21st, 2011, 10:53 pm
by jmdickens
This is a sad day for us.....may his family rejoice he is with the Lord, and with Jerry.

Re: Calvin Falwell passes away

Posted: August 23rd, 2011, 12:04 am
by JLFJR
HMO,

I remember as a kid having dinner at Calvin's house every Christmas Eve. That continued until we kids got married and started our own families.

Dad and Calvin were more like brothers than first cousins. I don't think many people knew that but it was a fact. Here is a story I probably shouldn't tell but I am getting a reputation for shocking people a little in Convocation so here goes. Dad's older sister, Rosha, and Calvin were both born in the Fall of 1920. Calvin's mother couldn't produce enough milk to satisfy Calvin's appetite so my grandmother nursed both Calvin and Rosha.

Calvin supported Liberty athletics as loyally as he did local minor league baseball. He was politically connected locally and helped Liberty behind the scenes with the city government, VDOT and state government generally. Dad was the first Falwell to move from the Democratic party to the Republican side in the 1950s but Calvin stayed with the Democrats a few decades longer. Dad teased him about that but Calvin was always quick to remind Dad that he voted for Reagan and other Republicans in national elections and that Virginia Democrats in the 1980s and 90s were very conservative--they weren't like those liberal national Democrats, Calvin would say.

Calvin fought for a regional airport over 30 years ago -- an airport located in Bedford County to serve both Roanoke and Lynchburg. This was a visionary idea that local governments should have embraced at the time but they were too small-minded to understand. Flights in and out of this region would have been so much more convenient. More industry and economic growth would have resulted. Maybe the locals did understand that and it scared them, who knows?

Falwell Airport was the brainchild of Calvin and his brother, Lawrence. They were aviation pioneers. Professional baseball in Lynchburg was Calvin's dream and he made it come true. Calvin brought excitement and entertainment to this area. Seeing the enjoyment that others experienced from those efforts was his reward.

Lynchburg, Virginia will never be the same without Calvin Falwell. He will be greatly missed.

Re: Calvin Falwell passes away

Posted: August 23rd, 2011, 1:04 am
by Hold My Own
Thank you for that. I remember Doc saying that pop was half Republican and half Democrat and that came in handy when he needed to get something done with those Democrats...which the majority of the time is what our City elected officials consisted of :lol:

Re: Calvin Falwell passes away

Posted: August 23rd, 2011, 11:23 am
by PAmedic
thank you for that story Chancellor (I think) :| 8)

Re: Calvin Falwell passes away

Posted: August 23rd, 2011, 4:31 pm
by Old School
My dad used to go to the stadium for baseball games and took me as a kid because I loved baseball. I can remember to this day, how kind he said that Calvin Falwell was to him. He loved Calvin and I learned later in life why. Calvin Falwell was a kind gentle man who loved people and baseball. A combination that really can't be beat. Prayers go out to the entire Falwell family.