Philip Blake Calkins
October 7, 1938 ~ July 16, 2019
Philip Blake Calkins, 80, died at his home in Vienna, Virginia, Tuesday July 16. Born to Dorothy (Ferris) and Charles Calkins on October 7, 1938, Phil grew up with his two big brothers, Chuck and Kenny, in Evanston, Illinois. In the 1960s, Phil's studies at the University of Chicago took him and his young family to London and Kolkata (then Calcutta), where he researched 18th century Bengali rule, the topic of his doctoral dissertation. Phil came to Durham, North Carolina in 1973 as an assistant professor in Duke University’s history department.
Phil left academia for a second, Washington, D.C.-based career as an advocate for disability rights. In the 1980s, he helped organize Disabled But Able to Vote and was an active member of ADAPT and other organizations that encourage the political participation of people with disabilities.
Beyond his work in Communications and Legislative Affairs at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, he served on the President's Committee on the Employment of Persons with Disabilities. He also served on the Congressional Task Force on the Rights and Empowerment of Americans with Disabilities under its Chairperson Justin Dart, where, among other tasks, he collected and analyzed data on discrimination against the disabled. This evidence was used to help raise public awareness about the need for legal protections for people with disabilities (in advance of the passage of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act).
In retirement, Phil relished (hand)cycling on the W&OD Trail near his home and reading historical novels with his beloved partner Frankie Hoover Gibson. With her, he traveled the world -- including by RV, cruise ship, and Tall Ship (the Jubilee Sailing Trust's fully accessible Tenacious). In addition to Frankie, Phil is survived by his brother Kenneth Calkins (Jill) of Garrettsville, Ohio, daughter Leslie Packer (Tom) of Raleigh, NC, son Kevin Calkins (Kathy Jo Wetter) of Durham, NC, and three grandchildren -- Liam O'Toole (Hillary) of N. Charleston, SC, Caitlin O'Toole (Selva Kumar) of Atlanta, GA and Esmé Calkins of Durham, NC. The family will hold a private memorial service at a later date.
Phil left academia for a second, Washington, D.C.-based career as an advocate for disability rights. In the 1980s, he helped organize Disabled But Able to Vote and was an active member of ADAPT and other organizations that encourage the political participation of people with disabilities.
Beyond his work in Communications and Legislative Affairs at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, he served on the President's Committee on the Employment of Persons with Disabilities. He also served on the Congressional Task Force on the Rights and Empowerment of Americans with Disabilities under its Chairperson Justin Dart, where, among other tasks, he collected and analyzed data on discrimination against the disabled. This evidence was used to help raise public awareness about the need for legal protections for people with disabilities (in advance of the passage of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act).
In retirement, Phil relished (hand)cycling on the W&OD Trail near his home and reading historical novels with his beloved partner Frankie Hoover Gibson. With her, he traveled the world -- including by RV, cruise ship, and Tall Ship (the Jubilee Sailing Trust's fully accessible Tenacious). In addition to Frankie, Phil is survived by his brother Kenneth Calkins (Jill) of Garrettsville, Ohio, daughter Leslie Packer (Tom) of Raleigh, NC, son Kevin Calkins (Kathy Jo Wetter) of Durham, NC, and three grandchildren -- Liam O'Toole (Hillary) of N. Charleston, SC, Caitlin O'Toole (Selva Kumar) of Atlanta, GA and Esmé Calkins of Durham, NC. The family will hold a private memorial service at a later date.
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