Born October 29, 1943, in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, she was the only child of the late Homer L. and Iris E. Bryan (nee Logston) of East Liverpool, Ohio.
She lived most of her life in the East Liverpool/Wellsville, Ohio area. She attended the newly opened Beaver Local High School in 1957, graduating in 1961 as part of the first four-year graduating class of Beavers.
After high school, she attended Milligan College (now Milligan University) in Johnson City, Tennessee, where she earned her B.A. in English Education in 1965. While at Milligan, she was a member of the Alpha Psi Omega Dramatic Honorary sorority and served as a student director in the drama department.
On July 27, 1965, Esther married John Noah Calhoun, of Wellsville, in a small weeknight ceremony at the First Church of Christ in East Liverpool.
Also in 1965, she was hired by the Wellsville City (now Exempted Village) School District to teach Freshman English. She stayed at Wellsville High School until 1990, with a one-year hiatus in 1969-70 during which she worked at Southern Local High School in Salineville, Ohio. After the 1990 school year, Esther took a disability retirement from teaching.
During the early 80’s, Esther earned her M.S. in Education from Youngstown State University by taking night classes while teaching full time during the day.
Esther taught Freshman, Junior, and Senior English at Wellsville, but was at various times also the staff advisor for student organizations such as Y-Teens, the A.C.T.I.O.N. Group, Thespians, and the Junior and Senior Classes. She received the yearbook dedication from the Senior Class of 1976. She ended her career as the director of the English Curriculum for the district.
In addition to actively teaching, Esther was a Past President of the Wellsville Teachers Association, a Martha Holden Jennings Scholar, a member of the North Central Committee for Professional Development, and an active member of the Alpha Iota chapter of the Delta Kappa Gamma professional sorority.
Esther had a deep interest in the dramatic arts out of high school. She was the student director of productions at Milligan College and directed many plays at Wellsville during her teaching career. She was a lifelong member and Past President of the Wellsville Arts Club and a founding member of The Potter Players Community Theater where she supported and organized several productions in various offstage roles, from director to props.
A devout Christian, Esther was a long-time member of the Riverside Presbyterian Church in Wellsville where she served as a Sunday School teacher, an Elder, and the Clerk of Session. She had many fond memories of, and often returned to, her childhood church home, the Fredericktown Christian Church, in Fredericktown, Ohio near East Liverpool.
Like much of her family, Esther was deeply involved in organizations affiliated with the Masonic community. She was a long-time member and Past Worthy Matron of the former Anna Eckley Chapter #392, Order of Eastern Star in Negley, Ohio. When Anna Eckley Chapter folded, she became a member, and Past Worthy Matron, of Crystal Chapter #18 in East Liverpool. In 1998, Esther was honored with an O.E.S. Grand Office of Grand Representative of Alberta in Ohio, during which time she visited the province of Alberta for the first time. She is a Past President of District #13 O.E.S. and with her late husband John, was the Drill Director for the 2001 Ohio Grand Chapter O.E.S. She was also a member of, and Past President for, The Social Order of the Beauceant #17 in East Liverpool.
She was a charter board member for the chartering and creation of the Masonic Learning Center for Dyslexia in Steubenville, Ohio.
She is preceded in death by her husband of 51+ years, John N. Calhoun (2017), an infant daughter, Heather Colleen Calhoun (1983), a daughter-in-law, Lorrie Ann (Hughes) Calhoun (2003), and a granddaughter, Misti Ann Hatfield (2022).
Esther is survived by her two sons, Sean and Bryan (Melody) Calhoun, both of Columbus, two grandchildren, Heather Rose Perkins (Gary) and Andrew Joseph Robinson, and three great-grandchildren, Parker, Logan, and Zoey Perkins, all of Columbus. She is also survived by several cousins scattered around the country.
Per her wishes, there will be no public viewing and only a small family service. In lieu of flowers, any memorial tributes should be directed to the Masonic Learning Centers for Dyslexia Ways to Give • Children's Dyslexia Centers (childrensdyslexiacenters.org) or the National MS Society Donate Now - National MS Society.
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