Obituary of Frank Calhoun

Dr. CALHOUN, FRANK, 72 Dr. Frank Calhoun passed away June 30, 2011 in The Villages. He received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Agronomy/Soil Science from The Ohio State University. Between degrees, he worked as a resource conservationist and soil surveyor with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and later, as Division Superintendent for the Firestone Plantations Co. in Liberia, West Africa, where he met his future wife and soul-mate, Nancy. Frank's experience with Firestone created a life-long interest in tropical agriculture and eventually led him to complete his Ph.D. at the University of Florida. He was invited to join the faculty at Florida and ultimately became Chief of Party for a USAID sponsored program in El Salvador. Frank's work in Central America was widely respected, and he was recruited by Texas A&M University as a Professor of Tropical Soils and Crops. While at A&M, he supervised a multi-country research collaboration on soil and natural resource management in the Sahel Region of West Africa. Frank's international experience eventually led him back to Ohio State where he became Chief of Party for USAID projects in Burma and Uganda. After almost 30 years of work in tropical agriculture, he transferred to the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center in Wooster, Ohio, where he became engaged in research on the effects of long-term agricultural management practices on soil and water quality. He was an active member of the Soil Science Society of Agronomy until his retirement in 2010. Frank's adaptability, kind spirit, keen intellect, and appreciation for widely divergent cultures made him highly respected as both a person and professional, He will be sorely missed by his family and many friends. He is survived by his wife Nancy; children Andrew, Heather (Rusty), and Craig; grandchildren Kayla and Shelby. Memorial Ceremony will be held on Monday, July 11, 1PM, at Hiers-Baxley Funeral Services, 1511 Buenos Aires Blvd, The Villages, FL. Online condolences may be shared at www.hiers-baxley.com.