The Stovebolt Site Forums The Side Lot Old Dominion Stovebolt Society (MD, VA, West VA, DC, DE and PA) Sad news - Gary Callis passed

Gary Callis from Hollywood, MD passed away on Monday May 15th. Although he wasn't a member of Stovebolt he was a friend to many of us here and I thought you'd all like to know. He was a good friend to me and we had lots of great times together going to truck events and on road trips to bring a new project truck home.

He will be missed...

Mike B

Mike,

Thanks for posting this. I think John V will be putting out the details for funeral arrangements as soon as he gets them. I believe many of the local Bolter / BW ATHS folks will weigh in.

I remember when Gary and Sally came to their first Homecoming with some of the other BW-ATHS members. It wasn't like a BW event and those folks that were not Stovebolters seemed perplexed, amused and entertained. It was fun.

Another empty chair.

Thanks for posting Mike, he will be missed at Tristate as well. Pat66

Thanks for posting, Mike.

Gary was present at many ODSS campfires in Winchester and Gary played a huge role in several high-profile Stovebolt adventures -- Gary took me to Michigan to haul back my firetruck and he took Billy on his adventure to get the 860 project.

Although a man of few words ... but often a raised eyebrow and a smirk ... amidst the swirl of ODSS nuttiness, a better friend few of us have had. He would help any of us. All we ever had to do was ask.

Gary and I shared a love/fascination with the Martin JRM Mars flying boat. I'd stop by his office when he still worked for Dean Lumber and we'd talk for an hour just about that airplane. He had some nice pictures of it on his wall.

When he was driving a tri-axle dump for Larry Hills & Sons (in Calloway), I'd cross paths him every now and then out on Rt 5. It was fun -- we'd exchange air horn blasts or a simple wave. It was just nice to be on the road with a friend. I still check out the Hills trucks looking for Gary. Probably will for a while ... It will be a lonelier road out there without him.

But like Mike R said, he's back with Miss Sally now.

RIP Gary. I'm sorry I wasn't as good a friend to you as you were to me.

I didn’t have the honor to meet Gary. But I’ve had the honor to know people like him. Sounds like a person that always gave you his complete undivided attention when speaking with him and willing to drop everything he was doing to help you; always putting others first.

People like Gary become a part of our hearts-and never really leave us. Gary may not be Resting, but sounds like he’s definitely In Peace!

Like Victor said, I never met Gary, but it sounds like he was a selfless man.
Something many of us should strive to be better at.
I'll bet he wasn't even aware of the fact that he was indeed selfless.
That is the essence of selflessness.
A truly selfless person does not wake up in the morning and say, "I think that I will do something selfless today."
That statement would let all of the air out of true selflessness.
A selfless person just is.

I knew Gary and his family very well. His property and my parents property adjoined each other and in fact my father purchased property from Gary"s grandfather. Gary's father was our mailman when I was growing up. I worked with Gary's mother at the A&P Food Stores before I went to work for the government and in fact, he was a year behind me in high school also. Gary and his entire family were great people. Rest in peace Gary, You were an asset to all that met you.

Got a few email updates on services for Gary.

Here's the spot for his obit. It's not up yet tho. The page also has the details about visitation, etc.

This is from Jesse Walter:

John Vanatta had some other info:


I saw
Graveside Service with Military Honors
44345 Joy Chapel Road, Hollywood, MD

Here's a second thread about Trish's request for old trucks for the funeral. (In case you missed that.)

Gary Callis was a special person, always there to lend a hand or offer what ever he had for a recovery mission. A prime example of that would be the in the story John Milliman wrote about the experience he and Gary had picking up an old fire truck for John. I don’t see it now but maybe John will post it up. Gary did the same for me in offering his help to retrieve my ’59 GMC 860. My trip had a whole lot less drama and excitement than John’s trip᠁thankfully. The truck I bought was basically a cab and chassis with parts from 3 other trucks. We hopped in Gary’s “59 Reo with trailer in tow very early one morning towards the end of winter in 2010 headed and for the West VA/Ohio line. We had some challenges getting the truck on the trailer and all the parts packed away but made the trip there and back without a hiccup. I do recall hardly passing a Cracker Barrel that we didn’t stop at, a favorite of Gary’s. It was a trip I will never forget in that cramped but “cozy” cab, listening to Gary’s stories and watching him run through the gears in the Reo. Gary was very supportive of my GMC project always asking for and update or asking when it would be driving. I will always feel indebted to him for helping me get my truck home and all the advice he gave me. I’m sure there are countless stories like this of Gary quickly and generously offering his help. I can definitely say that I never attended an ATHS or ATCA truck show that Gary wasn’t there.
He's back with Sally, enjoying some, "tea and toast".
Rest in Peace.

Billy, you have a good memory.


John's Saga - I never wanted to be a fireman is a fun story, that also covered some of Gary's wonderful qualities.

Right about then, at that particular junction along Life's path when you could most use one of Yoggi Berra's forks and all Life hands you is a dead end, "Slim" swaggered back in. "Slim" had taken the form of my ATHS friend and antique firetruck expert, Gary. I was fresh out of ideas, motivation, excitement or anything else that would move this scheme off top dead center and I needed a different perspective. So I called Gary.

"Let's go get it," Gary said matter of factly. Huh?

Go read the rest of it.

Just got home from the reception at the funeral home. Gary's casket was closed so I guess we can't call it a "viewing." But I was proud to see his casket properly covered with a casket flag as befitting his status as a U.S. Military veteran (Air Force).

My friend and coworker, Dale (whom many ODSS members know) had brought the Hollywood VFD parade truck (HVFD's 1st piece of equipment). Gary had been chief engineer of HVFD. Dale needed to take the truck back to the firehouse for the night and needed a ride back to the funeral home to get his POV. So I escorted him back to Hollywood.

As with a lot of antique truck adventures, this one also had its obstacles to overcome. We had a fuel issue with the truck ('47 IH). But with the assistance of our local DOT enforcement officer, we were back on the road and the truck was back in quarters in no time.

Gary is probably smiling at Dale's and my mini adventure! But not about a cop having to rescue a fireman ...

I can hear Gary now .... "Hmmmmph!"

We'll bury him tomorrow.

Yesterday went well enough and everything went smoothly. Pat had us at the funeral home at 0830 for a 0930 departure for the church. Mike and Dana caught up with us enroute so we had an actual Stovebolt in the escort for the arrival at the church.

Charlie stayed home on this one because Pat specifically wanted the Cornbolt ('73 1310 dump) to go with the Hollywood and Mechanicsville VFD's Parade Trucks which were both Internationals. Pat drove the 359 Pete and his brother Artie drove Mechanicsville's 23. Gary Mattingly drove Gary's '59 Reo and Dale Pilkerton, Sr was driving the Hollywood truck.

One of Gary's relatives drove a '31 Model A truck. Neither Gary's firetruck nor his Autocar dump truck were able to be there.

We had a medical emergency happen in the middle of the church service ... but ... with a room full of Firefighters/EMTs/1st responders, it was handled swiftly, professionally and successfully and the service continued.

For the graveside service, the Air Force sent two E-7's (Air Force rank insignia can be confusing ...) for taps (one of those electronic bugles )but they did a nice job of folding Gary's casket flag and presenting it to Gary's daughter, Trish.

Gary had a good send off.

It sure is hard to look at the Reo and not see Gary behind the wheel.

I think this will be my first trip to Macungie where Gary wasn't in the convoy. He always liked to "bring up the rear" and would talk to the truckers on his CB...normally just telling them it was OK to merge back over after passing him...

Mike B