Ronald Callais graduated from high school in 1959, then went to University of Southern Louisiana (SLI at the time) for accounting, then transferred to Nicholls. He has been in the boat business all of his adult life, involved in both the utility boat business and the shipyard business.  He worked with his father, Abdon Callais, in the utility boat business. His grandmother owned a grocery store. His father’s siblings included Fornest (Callais and Sons – inland towing), Weber (Callais and Callais, boats), Joseph (B&C Boats), Harris (Callais and Callais, with Mr. Web), Inez (husband was Frisco Gisclair, of Guidry and Gisclair – inshore and offshore tugs), Pearl (mother of Luke Bellinger, offshore tugs), and Velma (mother of Arden Rogers, school principal). Everyone had shrimp boats. His father would work for oil companies when shrimping season shut down. The brothers would help each other out, but with the slowdown, things were not so friendly due to the shortage of jobs.