Hazel Valeria (Collins) Calloway

Hazel Valeria (Collins) Calloway, 104, of Louisville, Kentucky, passed away on Saturday, December 21, 2024. 

She was born on February 15, 1920 in Wayne, Pennsylvania to the late Harry and Rose (Sevier) Collins. She is also preceded in death by her Husband George Boone Calloway, and Son George Spencer Calloway, and 14 brothers and sisters: Charlotte (Gene), Ethel (Mulvy), Dorothy (Hal), Jessie, Bobby, Warren (Josephine), Howard (Katherine), Claude (Elizabeth), Harry, Roy (Hannah), Roland (Cis), Bert, Carl, Phillip (Win).

Hazel Valeria Collins Calloway was born in 1920, when only 35% of American homes had a telephone, and she passed from this world on December 21st, 2024, (two months from her 105th) birthday, when she made video calls by just saying “Alexa”. She has seen more in her lifetime than any of us will probably ever see. She was born the year women won the right to vote, near the end of the 1918 pandemic. She was the second youngest of 15 children born of two families. Her father was a widower with six children when he married her mother, who bore nine children. Life in that time was difficult at best, and yes, she had to walk miles to school in the snow. Those born during that time had to be strong and overcome many obstacles, which is why they are called “The Greatest Generation”. Hazel was one of the best and most resilient of that Greatest group.

She had grit!

She and her sisters were known as “The Collins Sisters”. They were beautiful. Looking at photographs, you can see Hazel was athletic. There’s a photo of her with a tennis racket, and she was also on a champion roller skating team, The Cherokees. Somewhere in Pennsylvania someone has all the trophies they won at competitions. She and her sister Charlotte called themselves “Connie and Ginger”, Charlotte was Connie and Hazel was Ginger. She once told a story that she and her sisters had to tell their father they were at church when they actually went to the skating rink. One night, they got home late, it was after 10 o’clock, and he was sitting there on the porch waiting for them.

She had spunk!

Her first job out of high school was as a telephone operator making $13 per week. Her brother had bought a house, so she moved in with him and paid him $7 a week for board. She worked downtown, and after work would go shopping, find a pretty dress and make a downpayment and make payments until it was paid for.

She was very stylish!

During WWII, she and two of her sisters joined the military - her sisters went into the Army and she became a Navy WAVE. She said she joined the Navy because they had the best-looking uniforms. Oh, how she loved clothes! The Navy started her as an Air Traffic Controller, but felt that job was too stressful, so she requested to work another job at the PX on base in Dahlgren, VA. It was there she met a very handsome Marine, George Calloway. They both looked like movie stars, so it’s no wonder they fell in love.

She was patriotic as well as vivacious!

After they left the military and were married, they made Louisville home where they raised four children, Diane, Robert, Shirley and George (Georgie). To help make ends meet, Hazel worked at Bunton Seed Company downtown. She would get up early to get the kids breakfast, off to school and off to work. She then walked to catch the bus to get to work, and after a long day, walked back home from the bus through all sorts of weather. On Friday nights, the kids would meet her at the grocery store and they would help to carry the groceries back home. She was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 70.

She was tough!

She was very active, even into her later years. She took long walks and, as long as she could, loved to ride her bicycle around the neighborhood. She had a green thumb and was quite the gardener. You could see that as soon as you pulled into her driveway. Her house was surrounded by flowers lovingly tended by hands that eventually were gnarled and stiff with age. She once stated that she thought her bent fingers were from all the years of carrying water jugs to water the flowers at her beloved Beechmont Baptist Church.

She was a woman of faith!

She bought that house on her own after her husband George passed away and lived there with her Georgie until he passed away in 1999. It was a sweet little house and she made many improvements over the years. She was rightfully proud of her home, and it took a very long time to convince her to leave it when it was no longer in her best interest to live there alone.

She was stubborn!

The family moved her to The Forum at Brookside, and she adjusted very well to life in a retirement community. She loved to go to the exercise room and she made many new friends. The family enjoyed having white tablecloth meals there with her and felt confident she was in the very best place she could be. It was fitting that she live out her life in such a wonderful environment with the high level of care offered there. She never failed to thank anyone who ever did any act of kindness for her, no matter how small.

She was grateful!

Hazel spent her life thinking of others, and always put herself last. She loved her family, and had many friends. Being the last of a large family, she had to say goodbye to each brother and sister one by one, and that was hard. It was especially hard when she had to say goodbye to her son, Georgie, who passed away at the age of 46 after being diagnosed with glioblastoma. She mourned the loss of Georgie until the day she left us to join him. She loved her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and her extended family and they felt the same for her.

She was loved!

She was resilient, strong and endured untold challenges in her long life. Speaking of untold, it wasn’t until this past September, when she was the flower girl at her great grandson Max’s wedding at Oxmoor Farm, that she told us that before the her children were born, she and husband George lived there at Oxmoor Farm, where he was the chauffeur and she was the nanny to the Bullitt family!

She was full of surprises!

Just last June she was asked to be in an A&W Root Beer commercial. Haley, her great-granddaughter-in-law, works for the agency that was producing a commercial for A&W. They were celebrating 105 years and offering free root beer floats for life to anyone over 100. Who better to be in it than Hazel, who also was in her 105th year! They gave her some funny lines, and she delivered in spades.

She was fun!

WDRB did a story on her, after learning of her A&W commercial through her great-granddaughter-in-law, Hannah, who is friends with the reporter. They came to her apartment for the interview, which can still be viewed on their website.

She is famous!

There is absolutely no way to find all the words to pay a proper tribute to this incredible woman who has lived such a long, eventful life. She welcomed each new family member with love and open arms. She was a frequent subject of her daughter-in-law, Barbara’s posts on social media. The comments were always read to her, and she was deeply touched that people she didn’t even know sent prayers and words of encouragement when she was going through some of those trials and tribulations life threw at her. She was always in awe of that and she 100% appreciated all the love, and was glad that she could give others inspiration and hope. What a legacy this beautiful woman has left behind.

She was inspirational and admired!

Hazel always gave good advice when asked, especially when asked what her secret was to living such a long life. And if she were here now she would tell you to keep moving, be brave, don’t forget to pray, and keep a song in your heart.

She was very wise!

The family gathers to celebrate all the family birthdays, and all the holidays, with Hazel always being present at every single one. She was the center of our universe. The one constant that shines through every single gathering is the deep love and regard this family has for her. Though we mourn our loss, and will miss her every single day for the rest of our lives. The focus is now on the celebration of her incredible life and that she was such a part of our lives for so very long. We are blessed with our memories to bring us a smile or warm feeling to ease the pain of that loss. Memories that we will share again and again, and again.

She is missed!

We cannot thank those at The Forum at Brookside enough for the kind and respectful way we were treated there right up to the very end. The family is also thankful for the wonderful care and comfort provided by Hosparus of Louisville in her final days.

She deserved the best.

It seems fitting and very symbolic that she crossed over on the Solstice, going from the longest night of darkness into the light.

She was pure magic!

Hazel is survived by her daughters, Diane (Mike) Gossett and Shirley Calloway, son, Robert (Barbara) Calloway, granddaughter, Brittany Enlow (Eric), grandsons, Jeffrey Gossett (Amy), Matthew Calloway (Casey), great-granddaughters, Angelica Thompson (Jason), Ana Vallow (Ryan), great-grandchildren, Gus Gossett, Maximillian (Haley) Enlow; Abigail Arreola; Hannah Mayberry (Will), Haven, and Hadley Enlow; Quinn, Sam, and Leo Burke-Calloway, great-great-grandchildren, Jaden and Carter Thompson, Jackson, Paxton, Simeon, Arlo, and Zion Vallow. 

Visitation will be from 10:00 am until the time of the funeral service at 12:00 pm on Friday, January 3, 2025 at Newcomer Cremations, Funerals & Receptions (235 Juneau Drive Louisville, KY 40243) with burial to follow at Louisville Memorial Gardens West in Louisville, Kentucky.

The family requests that contributions in Hazel’s memory be made to Hosparus of Louisville. 

To share a memory of Hazel or leave a special message for her family, please visit the guestbook below.