Obituary: Jorge Calderon, 1957-2011

Cathleen & Jorge (Photo courtesy Cathleen)

Born in Mexico City on April 23,1957, Jorge Calderon is survived by his mother, Lidia Calderon de Fernadez, who lives in Mexico City, and his family, including 1 brother and 7 sisters, 28 nieces and nephews and 6 grand nephews.

Pre-deceased before Jorge were the following family and friends: his father, Salvador Calderon, his mother-in-law Marjorie McClory, his compadre Oscar Moran, his dog Sam and his beloved cat, Harley.

Jorge had many accomplishments marking his life. He was a translator, instrumental in starting the Spanish translation program at Mammoth Mountain, Roma’s Cantina at Mammoth Mountain, graduate of California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, private chef, restaurant owner and operator, numerous years of being an American Youth Soccer Organization coach in Mammoth, and wrote a weekly Spanish column in the Mammoth Times.

The last weeks of his life were filled with love and support from his close friends, Hannah, Val, Billy and Kaya, his many other friends, and his wife of 21 years, Cathleen.

The following is from a eulogy given at Jorge’s memorial service last week by his wife, Cathleen:

“My mother was the first to see how special Jorge was.

We were on vacation in Cancun checking into the hotel when Marjorie nudged me and said, ‘Look at that handsome man.’ When we met him, we both knew what a true gentleman he was. His beautiful smile … a man filled with honor, respect and compassion.

I am not saying he was a saint; he had a devilish, fun side to him as well, but he was always, always a true friend.

That was 22 years ago and Jorge remained with those values. Jorge was always there for my mother, especially during the final years of her life. In fact he teased her about how he was her chauffeur, ‘Driving Miss Daisy!’

They had a very special relationship.

We shared many wonderful journeys together. Many of you took part in the adventures … traveling with us to Mexico, parties at our house, coaching soccer … life experiences.

These are wonderful, happy memories we will always have.

I believe that when people move on to a different realm, there is clarity, a state of awareness.

As Deepak Chopra says:

‘Each of us here is to discover our true self, that essentially we are spiritual beings who have taken manifestation in a physical form, that we are not human beings that have occasional spiritual experiences, that we are spiritual beings that have occasional human experiences!’

You grow to heaven, not go to heaven.

All of you here today are proof of how many people Jorge has touched, just by being Jorge. The outpouring of love and concern for him is proof that his life was and is remarkable.

When my mother passed on, friends gave me a poem [by Colleen Corah Hitchcock] that I look at every day and gives me great peace:

Ascension

And if I go,

while you’re still here …

Know that I live on,

vibrating to a different measure

— behind a thin veil you cannot see through.

You will not see me,

so you must have faith.

I wait for the time when we can soar together again,

— both aware of each other.

Until then, live your life to its fullest.

And when you need me,

Just whisper my name in your heart,

… I will be there.”