Mr. Calvin J. McLeod

July 4, 1939 - May 23, 2018

The Service of Remembrance for Mr. Calvin J. McLeod, age 78, of Spring Hill, Florida, will be held 11:00 AM, Saturday, May 26, 2018 at the Inverness Chapel of Hooper Funeral Homes. The family will receive friends from 10:00 AM until 11:00 AM, Saturday at the funeral home. C.J.—Calvin Joshua—McLeod passed away peacefully in his sleep Wednesday morning, May 23, 2018. Native to Florida, he was born and raised in Inverness to Oscar Penn and Mayo McLeod. As a young man, C.J. attended Citrus High School where he was a gifted and successful multi-sport athlete who was honored with the key positions of quarterback, pitcher, and guard. Sports were an enormous part of his life as he followed seven brothers whose athletic careers were equally as stellar as his own. In fact, these brothers were featured in Ripley’s “As Strange as it Is” for having “23 consecutive years representing Citrus High School” on the football field, and the Ripley’s calculation did not include the contribution of his two younger brothers, who also played football for Citrus High. C.J. was a member of the 1957 graduating class. Never in his 78 years did C.J. forget his hometown, his educators, or the friends with whom he grew up. They were the subjects of the wonderful stories he told and the source of joy and laughter for him and his family. C.J. took pride in and cherished his roots, considered it a privilege to grow up in a small town, and always took an interest in the lives of his family and lifelong friends. Though Inverness was home, C.J. moved to Saint Petersburg and then to Tampa where, as a licensed electrician, he built a thriving electrical business. Later, he moved his family and business to Hernando County and lived there until the time of his passing. C.J. was a builder at heart and with the help of his son, son-in-law, and friends designed and constructed two homes: one on the river in Weeki Wachee and one in the mountains of North Carolina. Though C.J. loved his projects, he also loved to see new places, and throughout their life together, he and Carolyn—his wife of 58 years—travelled the United States and the world, taking a particular interest in Scotland, the land of C.J.’s ancestors. While in Scotland, they toured the MacLeod Castle, sampled MacLeod scotch, and donned MacLeod kilts. Perhaps it was the combination of his Inverness roots and the discoveries he made in that faraway land that instilled in him the heart of a lion and the strength of 20 men. Most knew C.J. as a quiet and compassionate man, the kind of generous person who works all week and then shows up after hours to wire homes for Habitat for Humanity or coach Pee Wee Football, but there was more. He was the type of man who believed in God, his country, and the paramount importance of family. He did not give up when things looked bleak but charged on, determined. If success meant giving more of himself, C.J. gave more. His son and daughter describe him as the “best dad ever,”; his grandchildren call him a hero. His friends say, “He was finest man I ever knew,” and the doctors claim he was the strongest patient they ever met. C.J. McLeod was a man who lead by example, one who believed that words without actions are useless. C.J. McLeod was a man of integrity, and his family will miss his love, his wisdom, and his support. C.J. was preceded in death by his parents and 10 siblings, Reams McLeod, Bud McLeod, Eloise Gable, Harvey McLeod, Kate Edson, Bill McLeod, Ernest McLeod, Ray McLeod, Harold McLeod, and Terry McLeod. Survivors include his wife, Carolyn A. McLeod of Spring Hill, FL; son, Mike McLeod and his wife Mimi of Brooksville, FL; daughter, Cindy McKenna and her husband Danny of Lecanto, FL; brother, Joe McLeod and his wife, Sheila; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. The family requests expressions of sympathy take the form of memorial donations to Habitat for Humanity of Citrus County, 7800 W. Gulf to Lake Hwy., Crystal River, FL, 34423. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.HooperFuneralHome.com. Arrangements are under the direction of the Inverness Chapel of Hooper Funeral Homes & Crematory.