Robert Calderon

Robert Calderon, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend, passed away Friday, March 19, 2010 at 11:1O a.m. due to complications from his long valiant 10 year battle with lymphatic cancer.

A brief service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 27, at the OakCrest Funeral Home Chapel with burial immediately following at Oakwood Cemetery.

Robert was a native of Waco and attended University High School where he played basketball and held the school track record in the half mile. Later he attended McLennan Community College and then UTA Arlington where he studied Engineering. Robert had a passion for classic cars and for music. In the 1970s, he played guitar for his family band, Tempos, and later was a member of a local band called Joyride. He later gave up playing in the band to raise a family, but never stopped playing his guitar. Rarely did you see him at a family gathering without a guitar close by, ready for him to play. From 1991 to 1999, Robert was a dedicated student of Tae Kwon Do, earning a black belt.

Later he became an instructor and opened his own school in Burleson, TX where he lived at the time. Robert was diagnosed with stage 4 lymphatic cancer in January of 2000 and was given six months to live. He vowed to fight the cancer with everything he had and requested that God give him 10 more years to be with his family.

In his final years from 2000 until present, he was a retiree of Southwestern Bell after having worked 25 years with the company. His health started to rapidly decline after the death of his wife Candyce in 2008 and by Dec of 2009 the cancer was so aggressive that conventional treatments were ineffective. Robert became ill with a cold that later developed into pneumonia.

He fought his cancer for 10 years, but his body just gave out in the end ... his spirit was willing to keep up the fight, but his body was just too weak.

Robert was pre-deceased by his wife, Candyce R. Caldron, in July of 2008. She died as well from pancreatic cancer.

Robert is survived by daughter, Regina Calderon; grandson, Noah Calderon; his brothers, Ben Calderon of Waco, Tino Calderon of Mart, and Ernesto Calderon of Austin; sisters, Dolores Castillo of Fort Worth, Julia Calderon-Wilhelm of Waco, and Mary Farmer of Waco; fiancé, Irene Nino of Woodway, along with a large extended family of nieces, nephews, and loving friends.

Memorials may be made to: Fraternite of Notre Dame, 502 North Central Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60644