John Paul Calhoon

Dr. John Paul Calhoon, Sr. passed away unexpectedly at his home in Carmel, Indiana on December 14, 2020.

John was born July 20, 1934 in Mitchell, South Dakota, to Arthur J. and Alice T. (White) Calhoon. His parents were missionaries and they moved to India while he was still quite young. The family returned to the U.S. during WW II, sailing to New York from Bombay in 1942. After the war, the family moved to Haiti, where he lived until he started college.

John earned an Associate’s degree from Central Wesleyan College (now Southern Wesleyan University) and a bachelor’s degree from Marion College (now Indiana Wesleyan University). An accomplished musician, he played piano and trombone, and sang tenor in Central’s traveling quartet. He received his M.D. degree from Indiana University School of Medicine in 1965 and completed his internship at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis in 1966.

Dr. Calhoon practiced general medicine in Avon and Plainfield, Indiana. He also served as a captain in the Army National Guard during this time. He later completed a residency in radiology at Methodist Hospital. He started the radiology group at Hendricks Community Hospital, where he practiced for over 44 years. At various times in his career at Hendricks he served as Medical Chief of Staff and on the Medical Staff Executive Committee. He also served as president of the Hendricks County Medical Society. He loved his work and the people he worked with, and was known as a caring, hardworking physician with an off-beat (and off-color) sense of humor.

John married JoAnn “Joby” Teeters on May 1, 2004, and she survives. Following retirement, they moved from Eagle Creek Reservoir in Indianapolis to Carmel. They also spent many winters near Naples, Florida.

John was a generous man who supported his children and grandchildren in many of their endeavors, but especially in their pursuit of higher education. There were many family trips to locations in this country and all over the world. There are fond memories of visits to the New York and Montreal World’s Fairs, to various national parks, to vacation homes in Colorado and Maine, and to Europe. Later in life, he and Joby took his adult children on special trips to Alaska and to Ireland and his ancestral homeland of Scotland. He loved eating out, playing golf, playing board games, driving fast cars, snow skiing, reading, and having family get-togethers.

John is survived by his loving wife JoAnn “Joby” Calhoon and his six children and their spouses: John Calhoon, Jr. (Gloria), Sharon Calhoon (Mike Scheidler), Jim Calhoon (Terri), Jeff Calhoon, Carrie Thackeray (Rick), and Barrett Calhoon (Victoria). He is also survived by Joby’s daughter Morgan Teeters (John Burcham). His memory lives on in his grandchildren, who knew him variously as PopPop, Grandpa, or Grandpa C: Christy Roberts (Matt), Greg Calhoon (Jenny), Katie Malone (Rob), Aaron Calhoon (Charity), Paul Scheidler, Lindsay Reid (Seth), James Calhoon (Mallory), Sarah Calhoon, Noah Thackeray, Charlotte Thackeray, Baxter Thackeray, Vera Calhoon, Edith Calhoon, Izaac Daugherty, Ashton Keister, Will Burcham, and Jack Burcham.  He is also survived by 15 great-grandchildren and his former wives and the mothers of his children, Peggy (McCall) Wilkes and Sharon (Smith) Hobson. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Miriam Ruth Faulkenberry and her husband Paul, and his step-son Taylor Teeters.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, a celebration of life will be held in spring or summer of 2021. Memorial contributions in memory of Dr. Calhoon may be made to Southern Wesleyan University, Gleaner’s Food Bank, or your local food bank.

To view the live stream of the service please click on the following link: https://youtu.be/Z7ShwrT0dL8