Obituary for Calvert de Coligny Jr.
Calvert Guerric de Coligny Jr., born on May 31, 1939, in Port Sulphur, Louisiana, died in Roanoke, Va., on Tuesday, October 26, 2021.
A Memorial Service will be held and live streamed at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, November 5, 2021, at St. John’s Episcopal Church at 1 Mountain Ave. in Roanoke, Va.
The service was originally planned for earlier in the day, but Cal was not a mourning person. Cal, who would have made that groaner of a joke himself, was an oversized distributor of sarcasm, humor, kindness, warmth, advice, and strong opinions. His superpower was the ability to charm, disarm, and generate smiles and laughter in all persons from all walks of life. He possessed an endless supply of puns and wisecracks and delivered each with a twinkle in his eye.
At the age of 17, Cal was deeply impacted by the sudden loss of his father, after which he found solace and inspiration in academics, business, and the theater. In theater, Cal perfected accents and dialects, becoming a master of free-associations and corny one-liners. In academics, Cal was a proud graduate of Saint Christopher’s School in Richmond, Va., and Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va., where he earned a nearly full scholarship.
He started his first business while attending W&L, and applied his can-do attitude and tireless work ethic, creating a reputation for successfully building business relationships. Shortly after the Vietnam war began, Cal volunteered to serve his country. He spent two years with Army Intelligence in South Vietnam as an advisor to the South Vietnamese Army. There, Cal built relationships that would form the foundation of his life in international business. Cal was a complicated and complete person; he was sometimes intimidating, but always well-meaning, deeply intelligent, and ferociously dedicated to serving the needs of his family and friends. His determination and ambition led him to explore the far corners of this earth, a pursuit he enjoyed almost as much as being with the people, pastures, and quiet places of southwest Virginia and the island of Kauai.
He was happiest sharing these places and his adventures with his wife of 49 years, Eva Laverge de Coligny, whom he will now gleefully join in Heaven, where together they will again be a force to be reckoned with.
Cal is survived by his son, Calvert Guerric de Coligny III, and his daughter, Juliana Boelen de Coligny. Juliana and her daughter, Amelia, live in Roanoke, Va., and Guerric lives in Kaneohe, Hawaii, with his wife, Ashley, and their children, Ella and Charlie. Cal is also survived by his sister, Amanda de Coligny of Amherst, Va., his brother, Bill de Coligny of Durham, N.C., and their respective families, and many cousins in Virginia.
Cal was predeceased by his father, Calvert Sr., and mother, Julia, of Richmond, Va.; his sister, Anne; and his infant son, Henry.
Cal was an active member of the Vestry of St. John’s, board member of the Virginia Center for Creative Arts (VCCA), board member of The Lawai Beach Resort, and a supporter of many charitable organizations in the Roanoke Valley.
In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made in his name to the VCCA, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Roanoke, or any charitable organization of your choice. For more information, including a link to the live service, please visit https://www.mykeeper.com/profile/Cal/.
A Memorial Service will be held and live streamed at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, November 5, 2021, at St. John’s Episcopal Church at 1 Mountain Ave. in Roanoke, Va.
The service was originally planned for earlier in the day, but Cal was not a mourning person. Cal, who would have made that groaner of a joke himself, was an oversized distributor of sarcasm, humor, kindness, warmth, advice, and strong opinions. His superpower was the ability to charm, disarm, and generate smiles and laughter in all persons from all walks of life. He possessed an endless supply of puns and wisecracks and delivered each with a twinkle in his eye.
At the age of 17, Cal was deeply impacted by the sudden loss of his father, after which he found solace and inspiration in academics, business, and the theater. In theater, Cal perfected accents and dialects, becoming a master of free-associations and corny one-liners. In academics, Cal was a proud graduate of Saint Christopher’s School in Richmond, Va., and Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va., where he earned a nearly full scholarship.
He started his first business while attending W&L, and applied his can-do attitude and tireless work ethic, creating a reputation for successfully building business relationships. Shortly after the Vietnam war began, Cal volunteered to serve his country. He spent two years with Army Intelligence in South Vietnam as an advisor to the South Vietnamese Army. There, Cal built relationships that would form the foundation of his life in international business. Cal was a complicated and complete person; he was sometimes intimidating, but always well-meaning, deeply intelligent, and ferociously dedicated to serving the needs of his family and friends. His determination and ambition led him to explore the far corners of this earth, a pursuit he enjoyed almost as much as being with the people, pastures, and quiet places of southwest Virginia and the island of Kauai.
He was happiest sharing these places and his adventures with his wife of 49 years, Eva Laverge de Coligny, whom he will now gleefully join in Heaven, where together they will again be a force to be reckoned with.
Cal is survived by his son, Calvert Guerric de Coligny III, and his daughter, Juliana Boelen de Coligny. Juliana and her daughter, Amelia, live in Roanoke, Va., and Guerric lives in Kaneohe, Hawaii, with his wife, Ashley, and their children, Ella and Charlie. Cal is also survived by his sister, Amanda de Coligny of Amherst, Va., his brother, Bill de Coligny of Durham, N.C., and their respective families, and many cousins in Virginia.
Cal was predeceased by his father, Calvert Sr., and mother, Julia, of Richmond, Va.; his sister, Anne; and his infant son, Henry.
Cal was an active member of the Vestry of St. John’s, board member of the Virginia Center for Creative Arts (VCCA), board member of The Lawai Beach Resort, and a supporter of many charitable organizations in the Roanoke Valley.
In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made in his name to the VCCA, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Roanoke, or any charitable organization of your choice. For more information, including a link to the live service, please visit https://www.mykeeper.com/profile/Cal/.