* Van Wesley McCalister; Contractor, Deacon

Van Wesley McCalister, a longtime Ventura County contractor who was a deacon in Missionary Baptist churches throughout his life, died Tuesday after a fall. He was 93.

McCalister, who built many of the hangars at Santa Paula Airport as well as many custom homes throughout the county, was described by relatives as an avid fisherman who loved to spend time with his 14 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.

“He was a real wonderful guy, honest and a person of high integrity,” said McCalister’s 72-year-old son, Lester. “That’s what people always said about him. He made friends easy. I’m expecting a lot of people at the funeral.”

Born Nov. 15, 1904, in Arkansas, McCalister lived in that state and Oklahoma until 1937, when he packed his bags with his wife, Ozella, and moved to Ventura County.

The family moved to Tulare County in 1943, and McCalister divorced Ozella in 1950. He moved to Santa Paula, where he operated a cabinet shop and small lumber yard.

But it was McCalister’s work as a licensed general contractor that took up most of his time, mainly building and remodeling custom houses. Although fishing was his passion, he had little time to indulge in it, according to his son.

McCalister retired in 1973 at age 68, but he didn’t slow down.

“A year later, he was helping me build my house in Simi, up on the roof and everything else, even though he had his hip replaced,” Lester McCalister said. “He was up there on that house like a young man.”

The elder McCalister also remained active in various Missionary Baptist churches throughout his life, serving as music director, Bible teacher and youth sponsor.

Despite replacement surgeries on both hips, McCalister remained active in the Meiners Oaks Missionary Baptist Church until he died. After the 1991 death of his wife, Lula, he rarely left the house and had problems getting around. A fall led to his death.

McCalister is survived by three sons and a daughter: Lester McCalister of El Centro, Carroll D. McCalister of Arkansas, Lonie Black of Modesto and Alpha Lee of Oxnard.

Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Joseph Reardon Funeral Home in Ventura. Pastor Virgil Mooring of the Lompoc Missionary Baptist Church will conduct the services.

Friends may visit the funeral home from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.