Doris Calhoun

Doris Jeanette Ramsey Calhoun, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and friend departed this earth on September 17, 2024. Doris was born in Texarkana, Arkansas on April 17, 1941 and grew up in Logansport, Louisiana. 

She graduated from Logansport High School in 1957 and moved to Shreveport, Louisiana shortly after to attend Centenary College and Ayers Business College. While attending school she also worked as a waitress at Murrels Cafe where she met the love of her life, James David Calhoun and later married on August 21,1960. 

In her typical fearless nature, she followed Dave and moved to Germany in 1963, where he was stationed with the U.S. Army. After moving back to the U.S., they set up residence in Shreveport until moving to Dallas, Texas in the late sixties and then to Canton, Texas in 1978. 

Doris had a distinguished career as a legal secretary and licensed paralegal for several attorneys and law practices in the Dallas area until retiring in 1999. During her professional and personal careers she was a member of the State and National Foster Parents Association and an organizer of the Dallas County Child Welfare Program for Rehabilitation of Foster Children with Biological Parents. She was deeply involved in foster care, fostering 25 children with David between 1971 and 1974. She was a member of the League of Women’s Voters and helped organize the Young Presidents Secretaries Organization and was the second President of the National Legal Secretaries Association. 

Ms. Dee, as she was known to friends and neighbors, was an active member of the Canton First United Methodist Church for many years and loved the time she spent there as chair of the Altar Guild and part of the Commission of UMCOR. She enjoyed horseback riding and went on many trail rides. She had an artistic flair that showed in her cake decorating, alter designs and paintings. One of her paintings earned her a blue ribbon at the State Fair of Texas. Many people described Dee as the smartest person they knew, she was very well read and always loved learning new things. 

Surviving Doris are her husband of 64 years, James David Calhoun, her children Sean Patrick Calhoun and wife Lynn, Sharon Renee Stormer and husband Derek, Susie Denise Calhoun, and Barbara Catherine Atkinson. She had fourteen grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister Enola Sue Bridges, sister-in-law Kathy Caldwell Ramsey, and several cousins, nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life is being held at the Canton First United Methodist Church located at 600 S. Buffalo St., Canton, TX on October 5th at 11 am, reception at the church to immediately follow.