Maddin Lupton McCallie died in a local Chattanooga hospital on Saturday, September 4, 2010, after an 84 year life of love, devotion, and service to her family, her church, and her community.
Christened as Bettylou Maddin Lupton, she was born in Chattanooga on April 3, 1926, to Thomas Allen Lupton and Louise Bass Lupton, and was older sister to Thomas Allen Lupton Jr., and Frederick William Lupton. Her parents and brother, Tommy, preceded her in death.
She is survived by her husband of 58 years, Dr. David Park McCallie, and three sons, Dr. David Park McCallie Jr., of Stilwell, Kan. and Allen Lupton McCallie (Alice Tillett) and Dr. Jack Bass McCallie (Frances Williamson), both of Chattanooga. Her fourth son, Frederick Maddin McCallie, preceded her in death, as did her beloved daughter-in-law, David's wife, Nancy Bockbrader McCallie.
Her six grandchildren include David's three children, Andrew Jarnagin McCallie, of Los Angeles, Anna Maddin Frances McCallie, of Boston, and Cameron David McCallie, a student at Duke University, Jack's two children, Katharine Louise McCallie and Emma Frances McCallie, both students at GPS, and Allen's son, David Tillett McCallie, a student at the McCallie School. She is also survived by numerous cousins, nephews, and nieces of multiple generations.
Maddin's life is a testament to her honor of family, church, and community. Family events (be they graduations, birthdays, engagements, rehearsal dinners, weddings, or funerals) each called for her special attention: the right food, the right flowers, and certainly the right china. Maddin inherited from her mother the skill of graceful entertainment, and from her mother-in-law the importance of hosting gatherings to keep the families close. Annual Christmas night gatherings of the McCallie family have been sustained by her turkey and fruit bowl contributions for over 40 years. Even campfire meals on family camping trips required a neatly spread tablecloth.
Maddin immersed herself fully in the civic life of Chattanooga. Her involvement with community organizations included service as President of the Junior League of Chattanooga, Allied Arts, the Opportunity Home for Girls, the Riverview Garden Club, the Chattanooga Chapter of the National Society of Colonial Dames of America, and involvement in the Women's Auxiliary of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society and the Chattanooga Chapter of the American Heart Association (where her annual letter writing campaign over many years raised more than a half million dollars). In 1978 Maddin shared with her husband the Chattanooga Kiwanis Club's Distinguished Citizen award. She has been recognized as a Distinguished Woman of Chattanooga, and as a Distinguished Alumna of Girls Preparatory School. During the early years of World War II, she served as a very young Queen of the Cotton Ball.Maddin benefited from a Bright School education, later serving on its board, and was honored to speak at her granddaughter Louise's graduation. Graduating from GPS furthered her respect for a good education and gave her a host of dear friends whom she treasured for life. Maddin earned a BA from Sweet Briar College. In 1947, she represented Sweet Briar at the World Conference of Christian Youth in Oslo, Norway, a formative experience that she recalled vividly for many years. Maddin served as class secretary for the Class of 1948 for more 60 years, keeping class members apprised of comings and goings through their alumni magazine. She is probably troubled today with the possible absence of a class secretary to record her own passing!
Maddin devoted the majority of her great passion for volunteer service to The First Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga. For two generations, she taught children in the Church's Sunday School. She felt that the highest honor she ever received was to be approached in a public place and be told, "You may not remember me, Mrs. McCallie, but you taught me in Sunday School, and I want you to know that I am now in full-time Christian work." She served as President of the Women in the Church and received its Woman of the Year award. During Ben Haden's many years as Senior Minister and beyond, Maddin served as the volunteer "Church Hostess," an unofficial but all-encompassing title that included her role as the head of the church kitchen and many other things, including post-service congregational receptions every Sunday; Wednesday night "7:27" church dinners; innumerable wedding receptions; welcoming receptions for new preachers and retirement parties for old; the annual World Missions Conference; the Church Picnic at McDonald Farm, and a myriad of other functions. Truly hundreds of thousands of meals were served with Maddin's touch.In 2007 at a special reception, the Church honored Maddin's half-century of service with speeches, prayers, flowers and food, none of which she had to prepare. Her response to all the praise, "I never knew a person who was privileged to hear her own eulogy!" Maddin loved the beauty revealed in nature, especially the wildflowers and woodlands native to the Southeast, and she never tired of sharing her knowledge through woodland wildflower walks up until the last years of her life. She had an artist's touch with flowers, and could produce a spectacular arrangement from the disheveled wilderness of an untended weed patch if the occasion required as if did at one family wedding on a Nantahala camping trip!Maddin was a person who truly looked for - and found - the good in other people, never met a stranger and believed that her greatest calling was to spread the Gospel through good food, good company, nature's beauty, and a kind witness.
Maddin's family will receive friends at her home of 53 years at 1508 Edgewood Circle, on Labor Day Monday, from 4 until 7 p.m. Funeral services will be held at noon on Tuesday, Sept. 7, at First Presbyterian Church, with the Rev. Tim Tinsley presiding, assisted by Rev. Ben Haden; with visitation at the church for one hour before the service. Internment will follow at the Forrest Hills Cemetery.
Pallbearers will include several of Maddin's nephews, and honorary pallbearers include all of Maddin's many nieces and nephews and their children.
Contributions in memory of Maddin may be made to the Frederick Maddin McCallie Fund of the McCallie School, 500 Dodds Avenue 37404, or to the First Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga.
Visit www.heritagefh.com to share words of comfort to the family.
Arrangements are by Heritage Funeral Home, 7454 East Brainerd Road, Chattanooga, TN 37421.