Scott Charles Calton

I am heartbroken to share with family and friends that we’ve lost my dad, Scott Charles Calton, at age 87. He was the oldest of six children, born to Ruth and Charles Calton. He grew up in West St. Paul, and attended the University of Minnesota. He met my mother, Sharyn Peterson, on a blind date set up by friends. They married in 1969 and enjoyed many happy years together, along with my brother and me.

Dad accepted a job at 3M just shy of graduating college, but he never stopped learning or encouraging his children to learn. Dad was a voracious reader. Politics, biography, fiction- Dad especially loved a beautiful countryside British murder, whether in literature or on tv. He was a proud supporter of MPR and public television. Classical music was always blaring through the house, he knew all the composers, no matter how obscure. He never met a Nova episode that didn’t interest him. He loved NYT crosswords and always did them in pen- but only on Fridays and Saturdays, the rest of the week was too easy. We spent many early morning video chats bragging about who got the day’s Wordle in less tries.

Family was Dad’s love language. We ate dinner together as often as we could. Dad never missed an event his kids or grandkids were involved in. He enjoyed coaching the DI team (robotics), when we weren’t too wild, and later during retirement he gave art lessons to disabled kids and adults at Studio 61 in Hastings. He loved spending time outside and chaperoned Luther League Canoe trips, and encouraged Jeff in scouting all the way to Eagle Scout. He loved attending all our plays and concerts and rarely missed them. With his love of classical music, he was so excited to watch grandson Leo take up the cello.

Dad was an artist. Woodworking, pottery, drawing, water colors. Dad loved it all. He and his good friend Marv made the altar furniture at church and for many years he made ceramic first communion chalices for kids going through First Communion. He calligraphed honors certificates for local high schoolers on the A honor roll. He loved making what he needed out of wood. It always gave his family the giggles to see what he’d come up with to solve this problem or that. Like his oak cell phone holder in the car, or the battery organizer made out of maple decorated with beautiful birds on the front. He made toys for the kids, clocks for mantels, a frame to sort my dirty laundry. What do we need? We’ll call Papa and he’ll make something useful and pretty. Dad has been so proud to pass that gene on, with Jeff’s beautiful woodworking, and his granddaughter Linnea’s recent love of pottery.

Another art Dad loved was cooking, a talent he enjoyed sharing with grandson Leo. He loved trying new recipes and never missed an episode of America’s Test Kitchen. He and Mom were usually found in the kitchen with the latest recipe he spotted online or in the newspaper, and he always enjoyed what Rachel was whipping up in her kitchen or Jeff’s magic with his grill.

Dad loved to be outside. We used to take biking, canoeing, and ski trips with his high school/college buddies and their families through the years, that brought so much happiness and funny stories shared. He enjoyed hours at Jeff and Rachel’s cabin, lazing on the pontoon boat visiting with granddaughter Carolina and her husband James. He kept a butterfly garden near his pottery studio and was always trying to grow the perfect tomato. He could recognize by sight or sound so many different birds. We enjoyed lots of bike trips as a family, but it was in the last few years that his ebike gave Dad the freedom his lungs couldn’t. As late as last summer Dad would take his bike to Spring Lake Park or cruise the neighborhood. He loved to tell you he put 1000 miles on his bike last summer alone. But what Dad was really famous for was his winter snow slide. It started on a rickety platform on the roof of our two-story playhouse, careened down the hill, across the driveway, through the garden and dumped us out at the bottom of the gulch. He’d take us at night, bellies down on a $3 plastic sled, the moonlight making the tree branches look like hands ready to snatch us, with our happy screams echoing through the ravine.

So many wonderful memories of Dad. We look forward to sharing more stories and his artwork at a Celebration of Life Art Exhibit to be held soon. Details to follow. Thank you all for your prayers, concern and messages. Dad was so well loved and at the end we made sure he knew it. And we feel yours, too ~ Sara and Family.

Cremation services have been entrusted to the O’Connell Family Funeral Home of Prescott.