Calvelo's kindness was unmistakable

There are days when life brings you to your knees.

For many people that went to St. Apollinaris Catholic School and
Justin-Siena High in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Monday, March
11, 2019 was shattering news as we discovered that our school mate
Greg Calvelo suddenly passed away. Granted, the impact on us pales
in comparison for how it affects his family but you get the point. The
impact on Greg’s passing has been felt in far reaching circles.  

All services will be held at St. Apollinaris Church, which is located in
Napa, CA. There will be a viewing on Friday, March 22, 2019 from
4-5:30 p.m. with a rosary to follow. There will be a funeral mass and
Celebration of Life on Saturday, March 23, 2019 at 10:30 am at the
church and the hall.

Greg, who was 47, leaves behind his wife, Therese Bettinelli Calvelo,
two children (Faith and Jackson) and shiploads of family, friends and
acquaintances that held him in high esteem. Greg was a man for all
seasons: 1) Three sport athlete at Justin-Siena High (Napa, CA), 2)
After graduating from the University of California (Berkeley), he
studied for a semester in Spain and spent a summer teaching ELS to
kids, 3) As a freshman at Cal, he was a member of the Crew Team,
4) Also at Cal, he was a student manager for the men’s basketball
team. In 1993, I remember watch Cal upset Duke to advance to the
Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament. I saw the TV pan to the Cal
bench and Greg appeared in the shot. I thought, “Man, that’s the
one and only Greg Calvelo. He’s one of us.”

In high school as a student-athlete, he played football, basketball
and tennis. He coached Powerpuff, served as student body president,
yearbook sports editor, and was named Salutatorian of his graduating
class. He was also voted Most Likely to Succeed. Greg didn’t just
succeed in all facets of life. He mastered them.

After college, Greg worked as a Retirement Services Manager from
1994-2011 for Charles Schwab Corp. and then Wells Fargo. He was
recruited back to Charles Schwab for four more years before a couple
years as a Sr. Learning Strategist for PG & E. Greg was currently
employed by First Republic Bank in San Francisco as the Vice
President of Technology Training.

He also cared deeply for the youths as he coached basketball and was
an active supporter at various events.

I initially met Greg during the school year of 1984-1985 when he entered
St. A’s as an eighth grader after his family had moved to Napa, CA from
Jackson, Mich. The first thing this then vertically challenged sixth grader
thought was, “My goodness, what a large man.”

Entering a new school in a new community when in Grades K-12 can be
difficult, though I do not speak from experience because I was fortunate
enough to go to school with mostly the same people from Grades 1-8 and
a smattering of new ones when I got to Justin. Like yours truly, Greg
went to high school at Justin, where we graduated two years apart,
Greg in 1989 and me in 1991.

The challenges a new person faces when in a new school and community
are not only making new friends but fitting in among your peers. To say
that Greg fit in and made friends would not be doing him justice. Greg
made the quality of life for everyone around him a better place.

He was big man that had an affable gentle giant personality. Greg was
the type of person where if you did not like him, you were the one with
the problem. You could be the CEO of a company or a janitor, Greg made
you feel valued when he spoke to you. I had the pleasure of being in the
high school football program at Justin with Greg. We were never on the
same team because since he was two years ahead of me, he was on varsity
while I was on JV.

Greg and I were not friends as far as doing things together socially but
from time-to-time over the years we crossed paths and I considered him one.
After every conversation, I felt like a better person. The man never changed
as an adult. Greg continued to be generous, affable and fun-loving. He was
also driven and ambitious but not at the expense of sacrificing integrity.
While I’m not privy to his family life, I have no doubt he was every bit the
father and husband as he was peer, professional and friend.

I was saddened when I heard that he had a heart attack in September 2018
while enjoying life with his friends before a Cal football game. News
traveled at the speed of light on social media. From there, he received
multiple stents. Though he attacked his issue head on by committing
himself to a healthy lifestyle, Greg did not just focus on his own well
being.  Greg made it his mission is to raise awareness and education
around heart disease and healthy living. He did so by leading a team of
walkers in San Francisco along the Embarcadero for the 2018 Greater
Bay Area Heart Walk.

If that is not selflessness personified, I don’t know what is.

I last saw Greg in early October on Napa United, which is a recreational
soccer league, picture day. Greg and I each have sons that played this
past season. I remember telling how grateful many people were that he
survived his heart attack. Greg also expressed his gratefulness. We spent
about a half hour yukking it up while our kids were getting pictures taken.

After our kids were done, Greg and I embraced, I told something to the
effect of, “We are thrilled to still have you.” I fought back tears in the
process. Little did I know, that interaction with him would be my last.

The sadness of losing Greg is immutable. People say, “You only live
once.” Not true. You only die once, you live everyday. However, I think
we can live the remainder of our own lives by applying the same
principles with how Greg lived his life.

In the angry world in which we live, I think it speaks volumes that
Greg’s kindness never wavered. Perhaps if we all took a piece of
Greg’s principles and applied it to our own lives, we can collectively
make the world a better place.

Greg, I’m in no hurry to get to where you are going but I know we
will meet again someday. My friend, you made everyone’s world a
better place. I’m going to do my part to pay it forward and advise
those around me to reciprocate.

Here’s to you, Greg!

NOTE: The family has opened a 529 Education fund for Faith and
Jackson, in memory of their father. Make checks payable to Fidelity
Investments, be sure to include Acct. # 618230879 in the memo line
of the check. at P.O. Box 770001, Cincinnati, OH 45277-0003. For
electronic contributions please go directly to
https://go.fidelity.com/n4wyz

Donations can also be made to the AMERICAN HEART
ASSOCIATION in memory of Greg’s struggle with heart disease.