Frank Stirling Callaghan was born on June 16, 1960, in Belleville, Ontario. Frank was the son of a construction supervisor, Leo, and a telephone operator, Marion Growing up in the late 60s and early 70s, Frank's parents were conservative, but active in their community. They aligned with many of the hippie movements, and were strong activists for environmental issues and human rights. They weren't out front and public about their causes, but very outspoken and determined in their support.
Frank grew up with similar views, spending much of his 20s volunteering with groups like Greenpeace and The World Wildlife Foundation. He travelled throughout the world helping countries in need through many different organizations, which is how he met Emily. Emily was also a volunteer helping in a small village in East Africa in 1989. Frank and Emily worked together every day, teaching English, helping deliver supplies, and assisting families in the surrounding villages. They loved their work, and through that work they grew to love each other.
Upon returning home to Belleville, Frank kept in touch with Emily, who was from a small town in British Columbia called Hope. After a year or so of phone calls and the occasional plane trips for weeklong stays, Frank proposed to Emily during one of his visits to BC. Emily accepted and within three weeks she packed up everything she owned and moved to Ontario to live with Frank.
A few years after getting married, Frank and Emily started their own print shop, based out of Bellville. Frank's father had died in 1996, and his mother had been sick for a few years. After a few tough years, the business fell into a slump and eventually went bankrupt. Three days before Frank and Emily's bankruptcy was to officially come to an end, Frank's mother died, leaving a large sum to him and Emily, but the terms of the bankruptcy stated that any incoming money go to the payment of their debts, so the entire sum was absorbed into it. This matter of bad timing crippled the Callaghan family, and Frank took a job in a factory in Scarborough, moving the family there as well. Emily and a friend of hers opened a daycare in the building they lived in, providing care for many children from the buildings in the area. They had settled in to a life that was good for them, and that was sufficient to provide for their children. They still volunteered for local charities and causes, many times involving the girls in the activities as well. They taught them the valuable principles that they learned from their parents, that when people are in need, you open your door and your hearts to them and that hopefully people will do the same for you someday when you are in need. Looking back, they especially hoped the last part was true.
