Brenda Faye Calvert, 70, died on Saturday, June 5, 2021. She was born on November 8, 1950, to Theodore (“Ted”) and Vera Faye Pavloff. She graduated from Herrin High School in 1968 and from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 1972. She taught for over thirty years at Lincoln School in Herrin and Herrin Elementary School, completing her master’s degree in 1999 and her Ph.D. in 2004. After retiring from Herrin schools, she taught future teachers at SIUC until her second retirement in 2016.
Brenda loved to travel. Whether alone or with her family, she visited every state in the continental United States, ten Canadian provinces, India, several countries in Europe, and dozens of national parks. She especially enjoyed her several trips each year to the Hemlock Inn in Bryson City, North Carolina, and the dear friends she met there. Her time alone in Paris was also special, leading her to adventures she shared with daily emails to family and on a blog about solo travel. She'd have breakfast at Le Petit Cler, spend the morning at Musee de l’Orangerie, have lunch at La Traversee, take a cooking class or a stroll through Bois de Boulogne in the afternoon, and grab dinner at Le Coupole or any other place that would provide a Paris-Brest to go for dessert. She always stayed on Rue Cler.
Brenda was a longtime member of Carterville First Baptist Church, where she served on the Board of Trustees, the Building Committee, the Constitution Committee, and sang in the choir. She also served on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Baptist State Association. She organized Bible drills for children throughout Southern Illinois. She also attended Trinity Lutheran Church in Herrin, University Baptist Church in Carbondale, and The American Church in Paris.
Brenda's life was marked by selfless love, compassion, and integrity, including in her marriage to the late John "Tex" Calvert. She also gave away her love to her family and friends who survive her and with whom she experienced many highlights of life. She learned to finally love a dog with her son Wesley, daughter-in-law Brandy, and grandchildren Gideon, Josiah, and Lucy. She visited national parks with her son Winston and grandson Jasper. She took a flying lesson with her sister Sandra Conner tagging along, had Sunday night suppers with her brother-in-law and sister-in-law Jane and Jim Stalker, and made pickles for her family by marriage Pam Weinhold and her children Joel, Marla, and Kendra. She took long drives with Dwayne and Carolyn Sheumaker, played train dominos with Gail and Elliot Hill, sat in the rocking chairs with Mort and Lainey White, talked in the backyard with Diane Cash, went on field trips with Cheryl Harris, and fixed the plumbing for Brad and Mary Colwell.
Visitation will be on Wednesday, June 9, at First Baptist Church in Carterville starting at 5:00 PM. Services will be held on Thursday, June 10, at the church at 2:00 PM. Burial will follow in North Oakwood Cemetery in Carterville.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services in Carmi, Illinois.
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