Joseph "Cal" Downing

On the crisp spring morning of May 12th, 1925 in Kalispell, Montana, a 40 year old woman was steeling her mind to face the gravity, and the possible sorrow of the moment that she knew was arriving soon. She was surely about to deliver a child, and she was told that by the end of the day, probably herself, or her baby, would not survive the birth. However, this woman, Emily Downing, would prove to this world that the day was hers, and not only would she bring a vibrantly healthy and triumphant 11 pound baby into this world, but she too would survive to watch this baby grow into a vibrant and triumphant man. Joseph Calvin Downing was born that day to his loving and possibly bewildered mother Emily, and his father John Downing, and it was promptly decided that he would prove to be the last of his 4 children. And thus began a life that would reach into a lifetime love, and kinship to his friends...and especially the family, that he would create.

Graduating from Libby High School in 1943, Calvin joined the war effort by enlisting in the Navy as soon as he could, and served until May 17th, 1946. One month to-the-day later, he would marry the woman he would love the rest of his life, Margaret (Morgan). They married in Goldendale, Washington, and moved to Moscow, Idaho to attend the School of Forestry at the University of Idaho. In 1948, their first child Jaclyn Jean, would be born there. Cal worked in the JR Grace mine in Libby where he was exposed to the asbestos that would hinder him throughout his later life. He spent a short time as a game warden in Idaho. From there, the young family would move to Boise, where daughter Mary Elizabeth would be born in 1955, and on to Manti and Mt. Pleasant, UT where their third daughter, Kathy was born in 1957. While in Manti he was a member of the American Legion, the Lions club and served as a volunteer fireman. Cal served as the District Ranger out of Manti for five years before settling back in Boise in 1961. Their roots grew down deep, and would hold the family there well after he retired from the Forest Service in 1980. Cal's magnetic and unbridled personality would not go quietly into retirement however, and so he went to work at Maranatha Christian School, where he developed a brilliant and inscrutable accountability system of keeping track of any wandering students, by simply naming each of them, "George". Cal was a Mason and a Shriner and a longtime member of Central Assembly Christian Life Center. He and his wife loved to travel, and traveled often with a troupe who billed themselves the Primetimers. He loved Boise State football games, and one-of-a-kind popcorn concoctions, and could tell jokes that bordered on stand-up comedy. Calvin was a lover of stories, and poems, and could recite word for word entire Robert Service poems at the slightest premonition that a crowd may be forming to receive the oration. But if he was the bard of our lives, his wife Margaret, was surely his muse.

On Sunday the 22nd of May, Calvin left his life on Earth to rejoin his wife's side, in Heaven. On June 17th, their 70th wedding anniversary will be marked by those of us who are left behind, but Cal would feel that it such a small number, considering he signed up for "eternity". He is survived by his daughters Jackie Greeley, Mary Zimmerman (Rod), Kathy Gilmore (Arlen) 9 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, friends and their beloved dog Skylar.

A funeral service will be held today (Thursday) May 26, 2016 at 11 a.m. at the Alden-Waggoner Funeral Chapel. A viewing will be held at 10 a.m. A committal service will be held at 1 p.m. at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery.