Funeral services for Fred E. Calcote Jr. are 2 p.m., Thursday, June 11, 2015, at New Hope Methodist Church with burial in the church cemetery. Riverwood Family Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.

Visitation is from 5 until 8 p.m., Wednesday, June 10, 2015, at the church where he will also lie in state from 1 p.m. until time of services.

Mr. Calcote, 82, of Brookhaven, died June 8, 2015, at his residence. He was born on May 27, 1933, to Fred Edgar Calcote Sr. and Winnie B. Smith Calcote.

Preceding him in death were his parents; brothers, Dale Calcote, Stanley Calcote and Kent Calcote; first wife and mother of his four children, Doris Broders Calcote.

Survivors are his wife, Betty M. Calcote; sons, Clay Calcote and wife, JoAnn, of Jackson; Bryan Calcote and wife, Sonya, of Brookhaven and Craig Calcote and wife, Melissa, of Sugar Land, Texas; daughters, Robyn Fehrenbacher and husband, Jim, of Brandon, Cindy Peters and husband, Eddie, and Staci Courtney and husband, Mike all of Jackson, Louisiana; brother, Calvin Calcote and wife, Shirley; sister-in-law, Ruth Calcote; sisters, Mary Ellen Kimble, Evelyn Case and husband, Charlie, and Carolyn Smith and husband, Ronny; 10 grandchildren, Andrew, Daniel, Natalie and Ryan Fehrenbacher, Madeleine, Mason, Morgan and Maria Calcote, Clara Barton and Miriam Calcote, Casey Courtney and Palmer Peters.

For those of you who knew Fred, it was obvious that he had sustained serious burns to his face. In 1940 at the age of 7, he fainted and fell face first into the fireplace. Luckily his 5-year-old sister pulled him out. He was in the hospital for nine months in Natchez. He said he remembered overhearing people visiting and the staff that he was not expected to survive. He said it gave him the will to survive, which he did. From the age of 7 to 24, he had 55 surgical operations. He was raised on a cotton farm in Brookhaven.

As he got older, he would hitchhike to New Orleans to have the surgeries. He said while he was picking cotton in the hot sun, he was anxious to get a notice for his next surgery. Growing up as a kid trying to fit in, etc., that must have been a huge challenge! He was voted wittiest in high school and was loved by all who knew him. He had to persevere. When his children were younger, it bothered them that people stared at him, but they understood, as they got older.

He was the oldest of his family and went to college. During one of his visits to the New Orleans Hospital, he met a nurse named Doris Broders who would become his wife and mother of his four children. The children were so glad that their mom was able to see past the scars to the person within! Their mom passed away in 1992 and they feel so blessed to have had the parents that they did. In 1998, he married Betty M. Bryant, and they live in the Loyd Star Community.

He was employed for 30 years at East Louisiana State Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Jackson, Louisana, as a social worker and a social worker supervisor. At the time of his retirement in 1996, he was the chief executive officer. In 1993, the hospital was accredited by Joint Commission of Accredited Hospitals for the first time in the history of the hospital under his leadership and guidance. That had been one of his goals since he started working at the hospital.

Fred organized and started the Loyd Star Foundation in 2000 in pursuit of academic excellence for the Loyd Star School as he had a passion for education.

Memorials may be made to Loyd Star Foundation, P.O. Box 3803 Brookhaven, MS 39603-7803; New Hope UMC Building/Maintenance Fund, 2216 Hwy 550 NW, Wesson, MS 39191.

To express your thoughts to the family, you may visit riverwoodfamily.com and click on his name to leave a comment.