Rev. Leroy Wayne Calbom peacefully passed to eternal life in heaven with family by his side on June 7, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. He was born on June 7, 1935 in Mount Vernon, Washington State to his parents Wendell Oscar Calbom and Muriel Moody Calbom.
Leroy, his parents and older sister Lila lived in Seattle Washington during his childhood and high school years where he was very active in his local church youth group.
Leroy worked his way through college at the University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Washington with various jobs as well as Youth Minister at Methodist Churches in McCleary and Elma, Washington in 1956. It was in McCleary where he met his wife, Rita Stierwalt and the two were married in Tacoma, Washington on June 21, 1958. Leroy then attended seminary school at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkley, California where he graduated in 1960. That same year Leroy was ordained into the United Church of Christ as Associate Youth Minister at the First Congregational Church of Redwood City, California where he served a year and then became the Interim Minister. Leroy was then called to Alki Congregational Church in Seattle, Washington in 1964, where he served the congregation until 1973. Leroy was then called to Spokane, Washington as Senior Minister of the Westminster Congregational Church. During this time Leroy and Rita traveled to South America where he photographed areas and people living in extreme poverty and created an impressive black and white 11x14 photo essay capturing the pain and anguish of living in remote and poor conditions in third world countries. He subsequently distributed the essay nationwide to provide exposure and education to other UCC churches.
In 1981 Leroy was called to the First Congregational Church of Phoenix, Arizona where he served until 1998. During this time Leroy was a founding member of the Interfaith Cooperative Ministry. The organization was one of the first in Phoenix to serve the homeless community by collaborating collections of food, clothing and supplies. Additionally, Leroy was instrumental in a hospital program for 'Dignity for the Death and Dying' to train staff how to administer compassionate and dignified care at the end of life.
Leroy’s final call was to the Beatitudes Church in Phoenix, AZ as Director of Pastoral Care & Chaplain of the Beatitudes Campus in 1991 serving until his retirement in 2001. During this time he created and developed a school for non-english speaking elderly and arranged for transportation for them to attend the school at the Beatitudes campus.
One of Leroy’s most treasured accomplishments was to be awarded the Phoenix Volunteer of the Year award for 2019 from the Beatitudes. Leroy loved spending precious time with his family, the pacific ocean, photography, reading and writing poetry, chocolate ice cream, hot horseradish sauce, classical, jazz and Christmas music, and most of all, caring for others in his ministry, wherever he found the need. He was a serious man but he loved to add humor whenever he could which often made their way into his lifetime of sermons, musings and poems. He experienced great joy in participating in chaotic family gatherings with many grandchildren and great grandchildren. Leroy often expressed his love for his wife Rita, and considered her a 'selfless saint' and he never hesitated to express his deep appreciation for her love and care throughout their 66 years of marriage.
Leroy is survived by his wife Rita, daughter Lisa Rader and husband Russ of Phoenix, AZ and son Jeff Calbom and wife Karen of Mission Viejo, CA, 3 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren, two nieces and one nephew.
A celebration of Rev. Leroy Calbom’s life will be held at 1:00 PM Saturday, August 23, 2025 in the Life Center at the Beatitudes Campus located at 1620 W Glendale Ave, Phoenix AZ.
Suggestions for honoring Leroy’s meaning-filled life include donations to the Beatitudes Campus Foundation Resident Assistance Fund at 1610 W. Glendale Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85021 and/or Hospice of the Valley, Levine House, 3811 N 44th St, Phoenix, AZ 85018