James "Jimmy" Callahan

James “Jimmy” Callahan, well known to fans of “Charles in Charge” and for his countless other TV and movie appearances, died at his Fallbrook home on Friday, August 3, 2007, surrounded in love by his beloved wife Peggy and other close family members. James was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in February of this year.

Born in Grand Rapids, MI, October 4, 1930, he graduated from the University of Washington and served in the military before moving on to what was to be his true career: acting. He began with a role in “The Californians” in 1959. From that point on he was very much part of the Hollywood scene. He appeared in the TV series “Dr. Kildare” in the 1960s, “The Governor & J.J.” in the 1970s and “Charles in Charge” in the 1980s. More recently, he was seen in “ER,” “The Practice,” “Body & Soul,” “Medium” and “Seventh Heaven.”

Acting was not simply a career for James, it was the means of making a difference in the lives of those he met. Recognized by many from his screen appearances, he would readily acknowledge their bemused surprise and take the time, no matter how brief, to enrich this experience for them.

A regular participant in the Frank Sinatra Golf Tournament, James was more intent on involving the spectators than securing a good score. To the delight of the crowd, he would often invite someone from the gallery to take his next shot. It was one of these admirers who summed up his life so well in a letter she wrote to him after one such event: “People pass through our lives like never-ending streams and others stop and touch our hearts with a warmth that never fades.”