Patricia "Pat" Ann Callaham, 86, of Dahlonega passed away on March 4, 2026, following a brief illness.  Born on January 15, 1940, she was the daughter of Herman and Dorothy (Wade) Headrick, of Rossville, GA.  She was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, Dr. Mac Callaham. She is survived by her sister, Vickie (Terry) Bouldin and by several nieces and nephews.

She is survived by her four children, Shannon (Patrick) Garner, Leslie (James) Costa, Mac (Andrea) Callaham, Jr., and Clay (Michelle) Callaham. She was an indulgent grandmother to her grandchildren, Rachel (Ryan) Scott, Megan (Adam) Scott, Katie (Scott) Kesterson, and Rebecca (Walter) Maycock; Addison Costa, Eli Costa; Lily Callaham, James Callaham; Abbey Callaham, Riley Callaham, and Mackenzie Callaham.  She was great-grandmother to Ella Kate (Tyler) Messick, Walker, and Presleigh Scott; Cooper, AJ, and Tripp Scott; Cora Jane and Hattie Kesterson; Walden, Garner, Shannon, Clyde, and Mac Maycock.  Nothing gave her more joy than seeing these people all together in one place, enjoying one another's company and eating a fine meal.

Following high school, Pat moved to Atlanta and was employed as a bank teller, and as a model for Macy's Department Store Downtown.  During a trip home for the Christmas holidays, Pat and Mac were set up together on a (successful) blind date, and they were married in Rossville in September of 1960.  They lived briefly in Nashville while Mac finished an advanced degree at Peabody College.  The couple moved to Dahlonega in 1963 and became part of the North Georgia College community.  Pat quickly became active in community groups and projects, which was something she pursued her entire life.

Pat Callaham worked variously as a homemaker, shopkeeper, business owner, elementary school librarian, and when her children were well into school, she went back to the banking profession, starting as a teller at Lumpkin County Bank in 1982.  Over the course of her career at Lumpkin County Bank, she eventually worked her way up to an Assistant Vice-President position.

Aside from her family, her true passion in life was being active in the programs at Lumpkin County Schools and the community of Dahlonega. She watched hundreds of track meets, basketball, softball, and soccer games; worked countless nights in concession stands, and attended every single choral and dramatic performance that her children participated in.  In the broader community, she was an officer in the Civitan's Club and was heavily involved in the restoration of the Holly Theater to its status as a treasured community resource.  In her later years, she was a strong supporter of the Community Helping Place in Dahlonega.

Above all things, Pat Callaham will be remembered by her family and many friends as a "Great Southern Lady," and a consummate hostess.  She considered hospitality to be the ultimate responsibility, and she worked tirelessly to make her home welcoming and comfortable, to make her meals delicious beyond compare, and to uphold impeccable standards of presentation.  She never knew a stranger at her table, and she hosted friends and guests from far and wide.  All of this was rooted in her love of life, her fierce loyalty to her people, and her determination that excellence can be achieved with vision, effort, and attention to detail.

Anderson and Underwood Funeral Home are in charge of arrangements.  A celebration of life will be held at 4 PM on March 29th at Bull Mountain Lodge.  The family requests that those who wish to honor Pat's memory make a donation to the Mac A. and Patricia H. Callaham Scholarship Fund at the University of North Georgia, or to the Community Helping Place, Dahlonega.