Obituary of William Campbell

B I O G R A P H Y CAMPBELL: William "Bill" Stuart Campbell passed away in the Royal Alexandra Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta on Sunday, February 20, 2005 at the age of 73 years. Bill is survived by: his loving wife Eleanor of Lloydminster; two daughters: Terry and her husband Jim Swan of Lloydminster; Donna and her husband Barrie Steeg of New Market, Ontario; five grandchildren: Nicole and Marcel, Kelly, Lindsay, Lauren and Scott; one great granddaughter Rylee; one sister Verna and her husband Bob Bradley of Victoria as well as numerous other relatives. The funeral service for Bill was conducted from St. John's Anglican Church, Lloydminster, Saskatchewan on Friday, February 25, 2005 at 2:00 P.M. with Reverend David Turvey officiating. A eulogy was given by Terry Swan and Donna Steeg. The Anglican Church Choir sang "The Lord's Prayer." The hymns sung were "There’ll Be Peace In The Valley," and "Amazing Grace," accompanied on the organ by Pat Skinner. Honorary pallbearers were all those who shared in Bill's life. Active pallbearers were: David Gordon, John Taylor, Marcel LeBlanc, Doug Sprake, Robert Sprake and Scott Steeg. Interment followed in the Lloydminster City Cemetery. McCaw Funeral Service Ltd., of Lloydminster administered the funeral arrangements. On behalf of our Mom, we would like to thank all of you for coming today, to join us in honoring and celebrating the life of our Dad. William Stuart Campbell was born on March 26th, 1931 in Macklin, Saskatchewan – the only son of Stuart and Velma Campbell. He had two older sisters – Verna and Jean.Dad took all of his schooling in Macklin with the exception of Grade 12, which he completed in Lloydminster. His father was the CPR station-master here in town and they lived upstairs in the CPR station, which still stands today. After graduating from high school, Dad started working at Taylor, Pearson & Carson. Shortly after that, he met a pretty young girl on a blind date. Her name was Eleanor Gee and they soon became husband and wife. The family grew with the addition of Terry Lynn and Donna Lee. Dad always loved his 3 girls! Family time was precious, as Dad was not only working during the day, but also in the evenings as a projectionist at the theatre. It was his father –in-law, Cyril Gee, who gave him his training in that field. When Dad was home, it was not uncommon for him to be down on the floor with us, playing with his model train or running through the yard with us, playing cops and robbers. Each of us had our own gun and holster – even Dad. There were many evenings and weekends when Dad was working in his office and Terry and I were allowed to play ‘store’ amongst the aisles of automotive parts. We would also climb amongst the stacks of new tires and to this day, the smell of new tires is something that brings back fond memories. Family holidays were an important part of our lives and there were many camping trips to the Okanogan, Yellowstone National Park and out to Victoria to visit with Grandma and Grandpa Campbell. In 1960, Mom and Dad decided to build a cabin out at Sandy Beach. Fortunately, Grandpa Gee took control to ensure that the job was done right. Our summers at the lake were the best! We would move out as soon as school was out and not move back until September arrived. Dad would commute to work each day, but the time spent at the lake and the bonds that developed with other ‘beach families’ became very special. It was always a time that was looked forward to throughout the rest of the year. Dad loved the solitude and peacefulness of Sandy Beach. He found great pleasure in watching the variety of birds that would come to his feeders. The gophers and squirrels were also a great source of entertainment. Some of them became so tame that they would climb up on him and take peanuts out of his hand or pocket. Dad and Mom also became quite well known for there skunk-catching activities. They never killed them, but only moved them down to the dump at the far end of the lake. Dad would also spend hours in the bushes picking saskatoons or pincherries for Mom. Mom has mentioned that she’s going to need someone else to do this for her. If there is anyone here, who would like to volunteer for the position – please let us know and you can sign-up today! Dad always had a very strong work ethic and was highly respected by his business associates. Mom tells me, that when it came time to do inventory, Dad always had everything so well organized, that the actual inventory count was a breeze. For several years, Dad also managed the Drive-in Theatre south of Lloydminster. Over that time, there were many students who worked there and he enjoyed them all. He earned their respect by working right along side them. Everyone was expected to work hard, but he also let them know that fun could be had, too. Dad loved to tease and because of his ability to keep a straight face, no one was ever sure if he was joking or not. As long as the work was done, he was able to put up with youthful antics, such as locking the projectionist in his booth or the creative music and announcements that were broadcast over the speakers. At the end of the shows, he was always right out there, with the guys, to usher out the cars, in a safe manner. Mom and Dad always encouraged us to do our best and to realize the value of a good education. Dad told us that as long as we were willing to work hard and do well in our studies, he would look after the financial side. We could not have asked for a better foundation to our lives, - than the love, support and guidance that was given to us. For that, we are truly thankful. In the early ‘70’s, Dad began to experience problems with his health. Arthritis and Crohn’s disease proved to be a lifelong challenge for him. He had some emergency surgery in 1974 and we all thought, that we might lose him, then. But, Dad was a fighter and together with all the loving care he received from Mom and her vigilance in monitoring what he ate, he was able to have many more years with us. Thank you, Mom. After 39 years of working at Taylor Pearson, Motor Car Supply and then Acklands, Dad took an early retirement in 1990, due to his health concerns. Once Dad retired, he learned a few more skills – doing the dishes, laundry, vacuuming and even watching that last batch of buns or cookies in the oven, as Mom dashed out the door for coffee with the girls. His hobbies included working on his Canadian stamp collection, hooking rugs, reading and watching movies and sports on TV (especially hockey and curling). Over the years, Dad has hooked rugs for all of us. The last one he completed was for his great-granddaughter, Rylee, or the ‘little squirt’ as he liked to call her. Dad’s love of reading often resulted in piles and piles of books, which Mom found quite overwhelming. Once, when she heard that a friend was having a garage sale, she decided to get rid of a bunch of them – feeling quite certain that he would never miss them. Unfortunately, Dad somehow arrived at the garage sale and ended up buying over half of them back. For some time he was certain they were the ones he had lent to his son-in-law, Jim and that it was Jim that had put them in the garage sale. It seemed only fair that Jim got the blame, when he was the one that got the money for them! Mom and Dad loved to travel and enjoyed many holidays throughout Canada, Hawaii, Europe, Vegas and Jamaica. We’re sure that no one has a more extensive T-shirt collection than Dad. As his health worsened, their get-aways were limited to shorter excursions. These included the gambling trips and the bowling trips, which he so looked forward to and enjoyed. Dad also loved the daily ritual of getting together with the Coffee Gang over at Arby’s. The friendships and all of those good times were such an important part of his life. Dad loved his grandchildren. He often felt unwell and found it difficult to keep up with them, but they all had a special place in his heart. Christmas’s together were an important time for our family. Dad would do all of Mom’s wrapping and on Christmas morning – it was always Grandpa’s job to distribute the gifts that were under the tree.Every year, we would play a game, to which Grandpa would provide an endless supply of ‘trinkets’ that he had accumulated throughout the year from mail-order promotions. These prizes were highly valued when the grand-children were little, but even as the kids got older and the trinkets became more and more “tacky” – they still continued to be a highlight of the evening and brought about a great deal of laughter. February 16th was Mom and Dad’s 53rd anniversary. Together their love and devotion to each other, has overflowed into our lives, the lives of their 2 son-in-laws – Barrie and Jim; their grandchildren – Nicole and her husband Marcel, Kelly, Lindsay, Lauren and Scott; and their great granddaughter - Rylee. We’ll miss you Dad, but we’re happy that you are no longer suffering. You’ll live on in our hearts forever. Card of Thanks We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has touched us with their compassion and kindness, following the loss of our husband, father and grandfather. To the medical staff who over the years have been so good to Bill; to Canon David Turvey and all those at St. John’s Anglican Church for the beautiful service and luncheon and to Glenn and Dave McCaw, whose professionalism and tender care were such a comfort to us - we say ‘Thank You.’ We have been overwhelmed by all the love and support that we have received from our family and friends. Eleanor Campbell Terry & Jim Swan Donna & Barry Steeg & our families Donations in memory of Bill may be made to Lloydminster Home Care.