Obituary of Marjorie Campbell

A gentle heart stopped beating…

It is with the deepest of sadness that we must announce the passing of our Mum, Grandma and Great Grandma after a difficult two months of declining health on Friday, November 6th. It seems unimaginable that we must live in a world without her; we can only hope her unwavering love and strength will carry on through us.

Mum was born to Alfred and Catherine Thompson on Valentine’s Day, 1925 in South Shields, England. This was followed by the addition of her brother Alfred. Times were tough but there was great love in her humble home. The Second World War brought many challenges, not the least of which was her ability to attend school. Streets and schools were bombed out, and she finally had to accept the fact she could no longer get to a neighboring school safely. She worked for a time, and then just shy of her 18th birthday she joined the war effort, much to the dismay of her parents. This meant moving away from home to a Canadian Airforce Base at Skipton-on-Swale, England. This was a time of great sorrow and great romance, and it was here that she met her prince. She never thought she would marry that smart aleck Jack Campbell from Canada at first, but he was able to sweep her off her feet. A wedding had been planned, but the war ended earlier than expected so on August 11, 1945, they were married before Dad was shipped home. Her decision to follow Dad to Canada meant that unfortunately she had to say goodbye to her family. She often told the story of her distraught dad running beside the train as she pulled away, not knowing this would be the last time she would ever see him. She set sail from South Hampton on The Letitia and arrived at Pier 21, Halifax in October 1946, where a long train ride to Saskatchewan followed. It took her no time at all to completely endear herself to her new family, made up of Dad’s parents and sister.  By this time Dad was enrolled at the University of Saskatchewan and they settled into Community Apartments, which was a housing complex for Veterans attending university. Here they made lifelong friends with people they had everything in common with. It was here that Beverley and John were born. Mum and Dad focused on saving enough money for a down payment, and on December 1st, 1958 the family moved to MacEachern Avenue. Carol was born three days later. This was our family home for the next sixty years, and it became known to all as simply 2705. Sadly, Dad passed in 2016 and it became too difficult for Mum to stay in the home she loved so much. She moved to Samaritan Place in November of 2017 where she spent her last years receiving loving and compassionate care.

There is so much to say about Mum. She loved her home and everyone in it. Her family was truly the most important thing in her life. Friends were a treasure to her as well, and she had made so many throughout her life. You did not have to spend much time in her company to fully understand what a genuinely caring person she was. People fell in love with her instantly. Her early years gave her a strength that was unbreakable. Mum and dad had a traditional old-fashioned marriage; Dad looked after everything at the office while she looked after everything at home. Being a homemaker was a privilege and a role she took seriously. She was not one to ask for a lot of help, she preferred to quietly run the show.

Mum was also quite active outside of home. Being involved with the Saskatchewan War Brides Association gave her great joy. Their get-togethers allowed them to celebrate their unique comraderie and gave her an opportunity to unleash her beautiful singing voice. She was always singing.  She was a lifetime member of the Army, Navy & Air Force Veterans of Canada. Mum was also extremely proud to be an Executive Member of the Maple Leaf Unit #287 for several decades. This group has the distinction of being the only all women’s unit of the ANAVETS in Canada that is still in existence. These ladies enjoyed frequent trips to Las Vegas for some well-deserved vacations. Mum also enjoyed travel associated with Dad’s career at Dairy Producers, where his business associates and their wives also became close friends of hers. They enjoyed cruises and were particularly thrilled with their Alaskan trip to commemorate their 50th wedding anniversary. A travel highlight was her return trip to England where she could once again connect with her family. She was always a Brit at heart, but she was very proud to be a Canadian and lost no time losing her British accent and adopting a Canadian one.

Left to miss her terribly are her three children Beverley (Allan) Evans, John (Cathi), and Carol Lindsay. She was adored and will be forever missed by her grandchildren Jennifer (Patrick) Rengger, Jordan Evans, John Brewer, Katie Campbell (Alex Diss), Taylor Lindsay, and Brett Lindsay, as well as her great grandchild William Rengger.

Mum was predeceased by her parents Alfred and Catherine Thompson, brother Alf Thompson, sister-in-law Violet Thompson, parents-in-law John and Mary Campbell, sister-in-law Mary Campbell, and finally her beloved husband John (Jack) Norman Campbell. They celebrated 70 years of marriage before Dad passed, and she missed him terribly. We get some comfort knowing they have been reunited. Remembrance Day has always been very important to our family, and this year she was able to spend it with dad.  Also left to miss her are the staff and residents of Samaritan Place.  We have heard time and again what a special presence she was. She took it upon to herself to give as much love and care as she received there, as that was always her way. We are forever grateful to the staff and caregivers for the love and kindness shown to our precious Mum.

Mum will be cremated and laid to rest with Dad in Soldiers Field, Woodlawn Cemetery.

We’ll meet again
Don’t know where, don’t know when
But I know we’ll meet again
Some sunny day
Keep smiling through
Just like you always do
Til’ the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away