Andrew Lee Calvery

Andrew (Andy) Lee Calvery passed away on August 11, 2021 in Casa Grande, AZ. He was 81-years old. Andy was born on July 13, 1940 in Corpus Christi, TX to Elward Andrew Calvery and Alma Russell Calvery. He had a brother, Jimmie Allan Calvery, four years younger, and a sister, Ethel Marie Calvery, eight years older.

Andy spent his first 11 years in Texas and Oklahoma. In 1950, his sister graduated from high school in Ardmore, OK, then married and moved with her new husband to El Paso, TX. Andy and his remaining family promptly moved to Holtville, California where he finished elementary school and graduated from Holtville Union High School in 1958 with honors. After high school, he attended college at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, graduating in 1962 with a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics. He later received a Master’s degree.

Andy began work for the Boeing Company in Renton, WA after his graduation. He worked to develop Boeing computer technology, rising to a management position. He worked on many projects including the AWACS airborne radar system. He retired from Boeing in 1995 after 33 years of service.
Andy married Sharon Watkins after his graduation from college in 1962. They had two sons, Michael and Jeffrey. They were happily married for 18 years.

In 1984, Andy married his second wife Joan Darragh. They had 2 sons Jeff and Jim. They were happily married for 20 years.
Andy was preceded in death by his parents, Elward Calvery in 1980, Alma Calvery in 1995 and his sister Ethel Marie (Calvery) Lombard in 2005.

Andy spent his early retirement whitewater rafting and traveling. Rafting became a decades-long journey where he logged over 6,000 river miles. He trained and certified new guides, and later became the president of BEWET (the Boeing employee’s whitewater and touring club).

He spent his later retirement in Casa Grande and the Southwest. Andy was an avid dancer, going to weekly dances in and around the Casa Grande area. Andy later became a dance instructor and taught various types of dancing.
He is survived by Joan, Sharon, his four sons Michael, Jeffrey, Jeff, and Jim, younger brother Jimmie (Jim) and many grand-children. Andy was many things including: a rafting guide, a water-skiing instructor, and a baseball, football and basketball coach and dance instructor. He will be remembered by friends and family as the loving person he was, and he also never passed up an opportunity to say hello to a perfect stranger.

Condolences may be left on Jeff Calvery’s email account: jneckbrace@msn.com