Jerald David Calame

Jerry Calame, 85 of Fairfield, passed away on Sunday, December 21, 2025, at his residence.  Funeral services will be held on Saturday, December 27, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at First Baptist Church of Wortham with Reverend Tim Hollingshed and Reverend Jim Albin officiating.  Interment will follow at Wortham Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be held prior to the service, starting at 9:30 a.m.

Jerald David Calame was born October 9, 1940, to Charles “Son” Edward Calame and Edith Louella McAdams.  He was the second of seven children and was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Charles Calame and Jesse Calame, both of Wortham.  His surviving siblings are Glenda Neese of Wortham; Elizabeth Hammond with husband Tom, of Corsicana; Tony Calame of Wortham, and Nelda Mullenax of Kirvin.

Jerry graduated from Wortham High School in 1959 along with his high school sweetheart, Betsy Covert.  They married later that year and had two daughters: Jacqueline Calame Bass in 1962 and Paula Kay Calame in 1966.

Jerry joined the Dallas Police in 1963.  He also began earning college credits, often leaving a night shift at 7:00 to attend early morning classes.  His family remembers many years of his time being divided between his full time-job, part-time jobs as an off-duty police officer, and attending classes.  In 1971, he became eligible for the Dallas Police Department’s program offering officers the opportunity to take leave from their duties and attend the final year of college full-time, salary paid.  Jerry graduated from Sam Houston State University in May of 1972, with a Bachelor of Science in Criminology.

In 1974, he and Betsy started purchasing tracts of family land west of Wortham known as the Homeplace.  Betsy’s family owned the Bounds place east of Wortham.  Between the two locations, Jerry lived out a lifelong dream of working and raising cattle while still working full-time in Dallas.

After 27 years of service to the Police Department and earning the rank of Lieutenant, he retired in 1990.  He and Betsy then returned to Wortham where she would spend her final days.

On August 21, 1993, Jerry married Jenny Watson Arrington at her parents’ home in Fairfield.  In 1994, they built their first home together on Hwy 27 in Wortham where they continued raising cattle and enjoyed living in the country with their dogs for the next 24 years.

In 2017, Jerry and Jenny sold their home and acreage in Wortham and built a new home in Fairfield, Jenny’s hometown.

In addition to his siblings, Jerry is survived by his wife, Jenny Arrington Calame of Fairfield; his daughters, Jackie Calame Bass (Brian) and Paula Calame; Jackie’s children, Preston Huth (Megan), Austin Huth (Taylor), Landon Huth, Kelly Dragustinovis (Julio) and their children, Emma and Gracie; Paula’s children, Ryann and Jaclynn Calame; and sister-in-law Dorothy Calame.

Also surviving Jerry is Jenny’s family including her daughter Maggie Bonds, Maggie’s husband, also named Jerry, and their two children, River and Rainy, all of Fairfield.

Jerry was a man of unquestioned character; he was wise, honest almost to a fault, and hard-working.  He was a leader among his peers on the police department and known for an impeccable work ethic.

He was an avid reader; a student of genealogy and he encouraged his children and grandchildren to also know from where and who they came from.  Even throughout the progression of his dementia, he could tell you about family members for multiple generations back. Jerry was a member of the Sons of the Republic of Texas by lineal decent from Robert Burrough Longbotham.  

He began attending a church in Teague about three years ago.  It was there, among the small, independent Baptist community, he found a church home and was baptized.  For the first time in his life, he became an avid and faithful member, attending every Sunday and Wednesday evening service that he could.

There are so many people to thank at this time.  Countless friends and family members have stopped by to see Jerry before he passed, to share a story or two, to drop off food, and to pass around hugs.  Please know that each and every gesture, donation of food, phone call, text and embrace has helped to ease the pain of our loss.  The patriarch of our family has passed away, leaving lots of memories, funny stories, a big hole in our hearts, and an empty chair at the table.

Serving as pallbearers are Jonathan Calame, Mark Chilcoat, Shawn Gray, Ricky Calame, Tom Hammond and Jerry Bonds.  

For those who wish to make a memorial donation instead of flowers, the family suggests a financial gift to one of the following:  Faith Baptist Church, 1295 US Hwy 84 W, Teague, TX 75860; Wortham Cemetery Association, P.O. Box 363, Wortham, TX 76693; or Longbotham Cemetery Association, P.O. Box 67, Wortham TX 76693.

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