Cyril "Dez" Desmond Calley

Cyril Desmond Calley, known as “Dez” Calley to many, passed away on November 18, 2021, after sustaining major injuries from a car accident on November 10th. He was 90 years old, and is pre-deceased by his wife, Elizabeth Lula Calley. Born on November 9, 1931 in Jersey City, New Jersey, he was raised there until the age of eight, when he moved to Bayonne, New Jersey. He was an only child until age 14, when he was joined by his younger brother Bob Bozzo. Upon graduating from Bayonne Senior High School in 1949, he attended Casey Jones School of Aeronautics at La Guardia Airport, then enlisted in the Air Force, where he was initially stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, and then sent to Parks College in St. Louis to further study Aeronautics, learning the intricacies of designing, manufacturing and repairing aircraft. Dez was then stationed at Chanute Air Force Base in Illinois and Sewart Air Force Base in Tennessee, where he also played on the air force football team. In January, 1953, he was sent to Frankfurt, Germany and then Pisa, Italy for an eighteen month tour. Upon return to the U.S., he continued to be stationed at Air Force bases in Oklahoma and Pope Air Force base in Fayetteville, North Carolina, until his discharge in February, 1955. Dez then continued his studies at Parks College, a part of St. Louis University, graduating with an Aeronautical Engineering degree in 1957. At the same time Dez was completing his studies, he met Elizabeth “Betty Lou” Soule. They were married in 1956 and had the first of eight children in 1957. Upon graduation, Dez worked briefly for McDonald Aircraft Corporation, then relocated to Arlington, Virginia to work for the U.S. Navy. In his spare time, he applied for and was accepted to Georgetown University to attend Law School from 1958 through 1962. At that point, he shifted focus to practicing law and secured a job at the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, then as Assistant City Attorney in Alexandria, Virginia, from 1964 through 1976, followed by election three times as City Attorney from 1976 through 1986. After many years in public service, Dez Calley, Bud Hart and Herb Karp formed a partnership practicing law in Alexandria, Virginia, focusing on land acquisition and development. One of the most notable cases handled by the firm was the acquisition and development case of the Alexandria Railway, Potomac Yards. Eventually, Dez and Betty Lou sold their house in Alexandria and moved to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where they remained until their recent deaths. Cyril Dez Calley, along with his wife Betty Lou, who were married for nearly 65 years, leaves a legacy of focusing on love of family, including eight children: Susan (Edmund) of Orlando, Florida; William (Suzanne) of Virginia Beach, Virginia; Robert (Joelyn) of Elkton, Maryland and Safety Harbor, Florida; Mary (Dexter) of Bullock, North Carolina; Michael (Susana) of Middleburg, Virginia; Elizabeth (Tony) of Haymarket, Virginia; John (Jennifer) of Richmond, Virginia; and Daniel (Nicola) of County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, as well as thirteen grandchildren: Michael, Ryan, Wesley, Emily, Taylor, Christopher, George, Shannon, Edward, Nicholas, Georgia, Erin and Jack. Dez’s brother Bob (Merci), of Wyoming, Delaware, and their children Daniel, Amy and Laura, also have been close to the immediate family. A funeral Mass will be held at the Basilica of St. Mary Catholic Church, located at 310 South Royal Street, Alexandria, Virginia at 2 pm Friday, December 3, 2021, followed by a graveside service at St. Mary's Cemetery at 1000 S Royal Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, and a reception afterward. The family welcomes all who would like to participate at either location.