Obituary of John C. Callihan

Minerva: John Clayton Callihan, 89, a decorated Korean War veteran of Puddin’ Hollow Farm in the Adirondacks has passed on. He was founder of Madison Avenue advertising agency, and former corporate executive at GE, Westvaco, International Paper, and the Marsteller advertising agency. He was born in 1929 near Gibsonburg, Ohio, the son of Clayton and Freda Callihan. At age 19, he enlisted as a private in Ohio’s 37th Infantry Division. His Korean War service began in air search and rescue. Then, as First Lieutenant, he became Operations Officer of one of the largest USAF military police squadrons in the Far East. At age 24, he was awarded the Bronze Star medal. He was honored guest and keynote speaker at the 225th Anniversary Dinner of the Marine Corps. He gave the eulogy at the POW/MIA Memorial Ceremony, organized a “Home of the Brave Reception” for the Medal of Honor recipients, and a “Duty, Honor, and Country Night” to encourage support for all veterans. After co-founding the Davi-Callihan advertising agency, and during anti-war riots, his editorial, “How to Grow a Patriot,” illustrated by Norman Rockwell, defended the honor and integrity of Vietnam veterans who had been treated unfairly. John was a marathoner. He crossed the finish line in 10 New York City Marathons after age 50, always with his head held high and with a smile on his Irish face. For John, the marathon was a mirror of life itself. It taught him the importance of preparing for the never-ending struggle against difficult odds, the courage to keep going, to never give up. John was truly blessed. For as long as he could remember, the Holy Spirit had been his strength and shield. His Faith in Jesus Christ and the Finished Work of his Savior on Calvary’s Cross is the difference. That’s why John gave God all the glory and credit for all the good things that happened during his life, and the victory over death that can be achieved in no other way. John cherished the love of his wife of 65 years, the former, Wanda Faye Smith of Fremont, Ohio who passed away in 2016, and the love of their daughter, Kimberly Callihan Kaczmarek, and grandson, Zachary James Kaczmarek of Tarrytown. John was placed at rest among the valiant at a gravesite shared with his beloved wife on the grounds of the Saratoga National Cemetery. RIP Please visit www.alexanderfh.net for online guest book, condolences, and directions.