Richard "Dick" D. Calder

Richard “Dick” D. Calder of Appleton passed away at the age of 90 on February 18, 2023. He was born in 1932 to Thomas and Margaret (Schmidt) Calder in Menasha, WI.

Dick attended public school in Menasha.  In his senior year, he was president of his class and received the Athlete of the Year Medal. He then attended Lawrence University and received a B.S. degree. While at Lawrence, Dick played football and was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, serving as chapter president his senior year.  It was also at Lawrence that Dick was set up on a blind date with Lela “Christine” Hickman. The two married in 1955 which Dick said was the best decision he’d ever made. The couple started a family in Appleton.

Upon graduation, Dick worked for the Northwestern Engraving Company as a sales and service representative. It later became the Banta Digital Group, a subsidiary of the Banta Corporation. Dick was the division president for the last 16 years of his 43-year career.

Dick was truly fortunate to have many mentors in his lifetime. With the knowledge and support he received from these mentors, he decided to follow his heart. He wanted to positively impact people’s lives. He applied his professional work knowledge and life experiences to enrich their lives and the lives of others.

Dick had a passion for volunteering. He was active in a variety of local, regional, and global organizations, the longest being Rotary. Dick joined the Appleton Rotary Club in 1966. He served as Director, President, and District Governor. He was a Paul Harris Fellow and a Benefactor of Rotary International. Dick was active in his church, Memorial Presbyterian Church in Appleton for over 50 years. He taught Sunday school, served as a Trustee, Elder, Clerk of Session, and spearheaded both local and national financial campaigns. Dick was part of a small group of local businesspeople who were instrumental in forming what is today known as Mosaic Family Health.

Two other organizations that were close to his heart are the Mielke Family Foundation and the Community Foundation of the Fox Valley, having served as president of both. In 2013, he was selected as the Community Foundation “Volunteer of the Year” by the foundation board and in 2019 was awarded the Mielke Foundation Paul Groth Award for Mentoring. 

Dick was good at balancing work, church, and community service. He used his free time for his most cherished gift of all, his family. He enjoyed summers, not only with his family, but also with friends at the family cabin on Boulder Lake, Boulder Junction, WI.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Christine, his parents, his five brothers, John, Thomas, Edward, James, and Nathan, and his in-laws, Donald and Mary (Brouwer) Hickman. He is survived by his sons, Stephen (Ann), Thomas (Becky), Andrew (Alison) and daughter, Mary; his seven grandchildren, Jonathan, Jacob, Bradley, Courtney, Marshall, Ian, and Jack; six great grandchildren, sister in law, Nancy, and many nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank all the nurses and caregivers at ThedaCare hospice for their wonderful care and a special thank you to Dr. Lee Vogel for her compassion and friendship over the years.

If you wish to honor Dick, please consider a gift to the Community Foundation of the Fox Valley, the Boulder Junction Community Foundation, or Rotary International.

There will be no service or visitation per Dick’s wishes.  A private family gathering will be held at a later date.