Mike Calhoun had a long career in radio and journalism beginning as a disc jockey at WSNO and WSKI  while in high school and college. He began news reporting at WVMT and also worked at WHWB and WJOY. In 1978 he was named Press Secretary to U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy and worked as spokesman for his 1980 successful reelection campaign. In 1981 he joined WRC radio in Washington, DC as a street reporter and in 1983 was named News Director of the NBC owned news/talk radio station.

In 1986 he became Station Manager of WIZN-FM. He also wrote features for the Vanguard Press, an alternative weekly based in Burlington.  In 1988 he became Communications Director for the Bill Gray for U.S. Senate campaign. In 1990 he was hired by WCAX-TV as a News Editor during their year-long Vermont Bicentennial project.

A life-long sailor, he spent the ’90s single-handing his way around the U.S. East coast and Caribbean. In 1994 he became News Director of WRMF, Palm Beach, FL and in 1996 was hired to cover the Olympic Summer games and serve as News Director of WSB-FM, Atlanta. In 2000 he bought a 62 foot Nautical ketch and opened Southern Comfort Yacht Charters in the U.S. and British Virgin Islands.

He held a General Class Amateur Radio License, was an American Sailing Association certified instructor and held a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Near Coastal Master’s License. In retirement he was a volunteer instructor and instructor trainer for the American Red Cross and drove Water Taxi in Palm Beach.

Michael John Calhoun was born August 20, 1951 in Washington, DC to John Alan Calhoun and Aileen Joy Goldstone. He attended public schools in Arlington, Virginia and Barre, Vermont, graduating from Spaulding High School in 1969. He attended Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont.

He is survived by his his loving husband Matthew whom he married in 2017 in Vergennes, Vermont, his youngest sister Susan, a niece Kristen, nephew Brad and a Moluccan cockatoo named Weeble.