Cal Gregory Staggers

A memorial service for Cal Gregory Staggers, 59, of Marshall, Texas will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, January 28, 2022, at Cypress Valley Bible Church in Marshall, Texas.

Cal Gregory Staggers of Naples, Florida, formerly of Marshall, Texas, passed away on Monday, January 16, 2023, at the age of 59.

Cal was born August 16, 1963, in Marshall, the second son of Grady 0. Staggers and Pauline Jones Hitt. He graduated from Marshall High School in 1981.

Singing became a continuing theme for Cal, who sang in high school and with groups at Baylor University, the Waco Civic Chorus, Central Christian Church Choir, and the Cypress Valley Worship team.

In undergraduate school, he majored in business administration and accounting. He became a member of the national honorary fraternity, Sigma Iota Epsilon, and the social fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon, for which Cal served as chaplain and was a leadership board member. Cal maintained friendships with his fraternity brothers beyond their college days.

On a visit to his hometown from college, Cal’s father invited him to Cypress Valley Bible Church. Cal became a believer as a result of Cypress’ gospel teaching. He became a lifelong advocate of sharing a clear gospel message.

After completing his undergraduate studies in 1985, Cal passed the CPA exam and worked for Dallas’ Arthur Anderson for a year. He returned to Baylor to earn his Master’s degree in Business Administration in 1987. Immediately afterward, Cal returned to Marshall to work at his father’s business, Staggers Oil, of which he became president. The business expanded over the years until sold in 2001. Cal owned and maintained Day and Night Advertising, a billboard business with billboards scattered around Marshall and into Louisiana. Cal served as a board member of the National Association of Texas Truck Stops, a board member of the Marshal Economic Development Corporation, and as a board member and president of the Dallas Caddo Club.

Cal would often share the gospel in unconventional places. As a local businessman, Cal was asked by a public-school teacher, Mrs. Pelz, to teach Junior Achievement to her seventh graders. Cal agreed on the condition that he would be allowed to share the gospel with the students. His rationale: “In business, you have to have a Godly mindset.” Despite gospel teaching being technically against public school policy, Mrs. Pelz agreed. When Cal would teach on spiritual subjects, Mrs. Pelz would conveniently become dreadfully busy, not noticing, with her head down grading papers, thus maintaining her plausible deniability. On at least one occasion, the school principal visited the classroom in the middle of one of these illegal gospel presentations. Cal casually covered the overhead projector with a piece of paper and shifted flawlessly into business jargon. His desire to share a clear gospel message was unfazed, and he continued doing so for years.

Cal met the love of his life, Becky Tucker, and they married in 1992. Their only child, William Grady, was born in 1997.

Since Cal was enchanted by Caddo Lake and loved to give tours to family and friends, he frequently entertained with rides on his pontoon boat through mysterious waterways under the towering moss-covered cypresses. The couple bought a lake house and named it “Chateau Caddeau.” It was a great getaway for family and friends.

Cypress Valley Bible Church was a central factor in Cal’s life. He loved to study and discuss the Bible and was a part of the Praise Team for over twenty years. After selling Staggers Oil, Cal volunteered as a part-time administrator at the church.

In 2011, Cal and Becky, with Wm. Grady moved to Naples, Florida. There the love of the beach, sea birds, and sensational sunsets became a new outlet for Cal’s love of nature. In Naples, he and Becky joined the Beach Church, which meets in a park under a canopy of trees. He conducted his business and wrote blogs and articles, several of which were published in Grace In Focus magazine and on faithalone.org.

Cal loved God, his church, family, and friends with intensity. His vibrant presence was enhanced by classy attire and a sense of style. He loved and practiced the East Texas story-telling tradition, having learned the art from the veteran storytellers he grew up listening to, including his father and grandfather. Cal was a loving man who made and kept lists of everything, who followed a disciplined daily routine, and who stayed in shape. He sent birthday cards to all he knew and kept in touch with an amazing number of people from all walks of life. His administrative assistant of 18 years, Gayle Westmoreland, called him very fastidious.

Cal was passionate about the message of eternal life. Cal’s savior, Jesus, said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” This verse brought meaning and eternal security to Cal’s life. Since Cal received salvation during college when he believed in Jesus for the free gift of eternal life, he is now experiencing the victory of eternal life in heaven with Christ.

The honorary pallbearers are Dare Westmoreland, Scott Forbes, Fort and Allan Staggers, Paul and Mark Reynolds, Bill King, and Denis Smith.

Cal was preceded in death by his father, Grady Staggers; brother, Scott Staggers; nephew Justin Tucker, father-in-law, William Tucker; and brother-in-law, Thomas Tucker.

He is survived by his wife, Becky Staggers; son, Wm. Grady Staggers, of Minneapolis, Minnesota; mother, Pauline Hitt, of League City, Texas; brother, Morgan Staggers; stepbrothers Ryan and Rory Grant; his “Other Mother,” Pat Tucker, of Tyler, Texas; brother-in-law, Clark Tucker; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Samantha and John Tooke,; sister-in-law, Sarah Staggers; cousins, Fort Staggers and Allan Staggers; Kelli Weiskopf; Karen McKinley; Jonell Sheppard; and many others.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Free Grace International and Cypress Valley Bible Church.