Bob Callicrate took ceramics in high school, but it took several years before he made a career of it.
Callicrate, owner of Ironstone Lighting in Eagle, died March 18 on a Vail ski slope while skiing with his son, Mack Callicrate. He was 51.
Callicrate made all kinds of things, including water jugs, lamps and chimney pots, the family said.
Many of his distinctive chandeliers and other lights are in Vail homes.
He also learned to wire things so he could update old homes or antiques, and made his shop solar-powered, said his brother-in-law, Ed Bade of Lone Tree. The electric kiln, power tools, lights and computer were all solar-powered.
Kenny Roberts, who has several of Callicrate’s works in his home, said Callicrate was vitally interested in world politics, religion and business and was dismayed at the loss of small businesses and craftsmen.
Callicrate kept up on issues and “we had a few heated debates, but he wasn’t the rant-and-rave type,” said Roberts of Palisade.
“He was irreverent and didn’t trust the system. That appealed to me,” Roberts said.
Callicrate was born in Denver on Nov. 28, 1959, and was reared in Evergreen. He graduated from Evergreen High School.
He married Cindy Bade on June 18, 1983.
They lived in several areas in the mountains. He worked for Safeway in Vail for 12 years, and his wife operated her interior design business.
Callicrate worked for Resolution Snow Tours driving a Sno-Cat when he met Dean Wolz. They opened a ceramics business. Callicrate opened his own ceramics business in 1993 in Eagle.
In addition to his wife and son, he is survived by four sisters: Alice Bair, Lois Jacobson, Jeanie Chase and Maggie Callicrate; and two brothers, Mike Callicrate and Patrick Callicrate.
Virginia Culver: 303-954-1223 or vculver@denverpost.com
