Mr. George William Campbell

CAMPBELL, George William B.A., B.Ed – Passed away unexpectedly, on Sunday February 15, 2009, while on a family trip, in his 64th year. George was the beloved husband of Sandra for 27 years. Loving father of Chad (wife Louise), Matt (fiancée Samantha Munks) and Jesse. Dear grandpa of Madison and Chelsea. George was the son of the late Matt Campbell and Annie (nee McCormick). He will also be remembered by sisters Edith Crowley (husband Bill) and Rosetta Kumar (husband Ashok), his nieces and nephews: David Crowley, Derek Kumar & Dana Kumar and their families, and his best friend Jim Glynn. George was a popular teacher in Peterborough for 35 years working at Central, Queen Mary, Confederation, King Edward and Grove Public Schools. Since his retirement 5 years ago, he enjoyed every day, spending time in simple ways with friends and family. His family always came first, and there was nothing he enjoyed more than time with them. Talking for hours, over coffee, George, Sandy, Edith and Bill would discuss all of life’s mysteries. (Who will be able to solve all the world’s problems now?) He has left us lasting memories of summers at the cottage, Sunday dinners at home and extravagant Christmas mornings. His boys will cherish their times together at Toronto Maple Leaf hockey games. George was a daily part of his granddaughters’ lives; attending games, practices and competitions, keeping involved in all aspects of their lives. He loved to ‘meander’ around Ontario’s country roads with Sandy – his constant companion and conversation partner. A faithful Petes fan for over 30 years, section 5 will not be the same without him. When not with family, George could usually be found at the coffee shop, sharing wisdom with Jim, Ken or Randy. George was a kind, gentle, giving man who will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Following George’s wishes, a private family service will be held at the COMSTOCK FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION CENTRE, 356 Rubidge Street. Donations to the Heart & Stroke Foundation would be gratefully acknowledged. Online condolences may be made at www.mem.com.

Sandy's Memorial Service Tribute

A number of months ago, George and I went with Bill and Ede to see a movie called the Bucket List. Two men were terminally ill and decided to make a list of the things they wanted to do before they 'kicked the bucket'. Their lists had things like climb Mt. Everest and swim with dolphins and other adventures. In the following months, I joked with George about things that would be on my list...an NFL game...seeing Gordon Lightfoot and he made those happen for me. But his list was much different. Although he didn't write down what he wanted to accomplish in life I know very well how his list would have read.

CONNECT WITH MY ROOTS IN NORTHERN IRELAND: George's trip to Ireland was all about his family history. He wasn't there to climb the Cliffs of Moher or sit in a pub in Belfast or visit the castles on the coast. He was there to meet cousins and walk the streets of Ballymena where his mother lived as a young girl. His trip allowed him to see the house where his Dad grew up, the church where his parents were married, and the ocean side village of Portrush where his Mom had holiday swims. He was thrilled to meet cousins and second cousins and learn as much as he could about his parents' early years. The Campbells and the McCormicks in Ireland loved George and made this a real trip of a lifetime. So we can cross that off his list- Mission accomplished.

Number 2 reads BE A GOOD FRIEND:

George did his best every day to make this happen. If you were lucky enough to have George as a friend, then you had a friend who was genuinely interested in your life. He would do whatever he could to make that life easier. I think everyone can recall how when his best friend, Jim, was unable to drive for 9 months, George became his daily connection with life outside of home. He would call every day to see where they needed to go, pick him up and gladly act as chauffeur. He did it happily because Jim was his friend.

Last week Jerry, his friend of 40 years, wrote him an e-mail looking for some help for his troubled young grandson. George immediately offered to drive to Ajax and talk to the family.

But there was more to his friendships than being a problem solver. The guys had their share of laughs as well as some deeply serious discussions. From what I understand they were as likely to be discussing relationship issues as they were the stock market!

Jim, Randy, Ken, Lou, George, and Jerry are here today because George was a part of their lives. I have no doubt that they will confirm that he met his second objective of being a good friend.

What is next on this list?

BE A GOOD BROTHER AND BROTHER-IN-LAW:

George loved his sisters, Ede and Rosetta, and wanted them to know it. In Ede's case, it was easy- he was available for coffee and conversation 3 or 4 times a week. We spent hours with them, sitting at Wendy's or Tim's or in the car on little trips to Bobcaygeon, just enjoying each other's company and sharing our thoughts on life's mysteries. George called Rosetta regularly, asking about her family and her own daily life. They had heartfelt talks and he cherished the visits she made to Canada. He definitely was a good brother.

What else was important enough to go on his bucket list?

MAKE LASTING MEMORIES FOR CHELSEA AND MADISON:

From the minute Chad's daughters were born he became a central figure in their lives. Madison and Chelsea will have the photos we took to remind them of the thousands of hours they spent with Grandpa...

-nights at the cottage sitting at the campfire roasting marshmallows and making 's'mores

-afternoons at the zoo where Grandpa watched as they played on the monkey bars and climbed the spider web

-weekends away in Toronto or Kitchener or Ottawa for hockey games and gym meets and swimming in the hotel pools.

-trick or treating on Hallowe'en night with Grandpa by their side

Around home they will remember climbing up on his knee or getting help with their homework or performing their latest play for him.

YES...I know he accomplished that goal too.

Next would be

BE A GOOD DAD.

This was easy for George. He loved his sons so much that more than anything else in life he wanted them to be happy. He was at his happiest when he could be with them and he sought every opportunity to be involved in their lives.

With Jesse, it meant including him in all our Sunday dinners and holiday gatherings, attending his Special Olympics events, and having him at the cottage for his summer break.

Because Chad has Louise and the girls, George became part of their circle, offering to pick up the girls from school, join Chad for a hockey practice, or take the whole family away for a weekend. George was quietly thrilled when Chad would call and ask him to come out to Canadian Tire for an hour or join him on a workday because he was driving to Bancroft.

Matt is still in our home so contact with him was easier but no less special. I know one of his favourite times was Monday night at 9:00 when he would join us in the bedroom to watch House....Matt on the bed with me and George in his chair next to us. Matt shares his dad's openly affectionate ways so hugs and “I love you”s were common occurrences. This past December George considered it the ultimate honour when Chad and Matt decided to go to an AC/DC concert and invited him to join them. He agreed without a second of hesitation.

We all agree that he surpassed his goal of being a good father. In fact as Matt said on Monday he was “perfect!”

George would have had two more wishes on his bucket list. The first of these he achieved.

He would write down,

6.MAKE SURE SANDY KNOWS HOW MUCH I LOVE HER. And I did.

He told me every day how important I was to him..how wonderful a mother...how special a grandmother. He even said so behind my back. Often when I would meet a co-worker of his for the first time the remark would be made, “so you are the special woman George is always raving about.” I knew he loved me. He was a romantic and if a slow favourite song was playing on the radio, I would reach out my hand and we would be dancing cheek to cheek around the living room.

To some it may seem that I looked after him, but these were in day-to-day mundane ways like preparing his dinner and making him coffee. Yes, I did the laundry and most of the household chores. But behind the scenes he quietly looked after the important things, keeping us financially secure, buying a cottage to ensure family times together and instituting traditions like Sunday dinner on Franklin Drive and Christmas morning at Chad's house. He was making plans that would ensure we would be a strong family forever. I looked after the details while he was creating the big picture.

He was my counsellor when I needed advice and my strength when I needed support.

Yes. I know he truly loved me.

Finally there would be one more wish on his list – one he could never attain.

It would read

7.LET THINGS ALWAYS BE THE SAME. George did not like change. He was so content that he wanted things to stay exactly as they were...the girls not to grow up, Matt and Sam to stay living with us...But life doesn't work like that and we are here today trying to come to grips with the most devastating change of all. Yes, we will continue to have our Sunday dinners, our weekends away, and our summers at the cottage, but some vital link will be missing.

And yet in spite of our present sense of loss, I have to believe that in time our hearts will heal, and we will recover. We will feel gratitude for the years he was with us. I know we can honour him by always remaining the close loving family he would want us to be.

I will close with a thought that I received in a card this morningthat I hope will give everyone strength..

Do not grieve too long that he is gone. instead, Rejoice that he WAS.

A number of months ago, George and I went with Bill and Ede to see a movie called the Bucket List. Two men were terminally ill and decided to make a list of the things they wanted to do before they 'kicked the bucket'. Their lists had things like climb Mt. Everest and swim with dolphins and other adventures. In the following months, I joked with George about things that would be on my list...an NFL game...seeing Gordon Lightfoot and he made those happen for me. But his list was much different. Although he didn't write down what he wanted to accomplish in life I know very well how his list would have read.

CONNECT WITH MY ROOTS IN NORTHERN IRELAND: George's trip to Ireland was all about his family history. He wasn't there to climb the Cliffs of Moher or sit in a pub in Belfast or visit the castles on the coast. He was there to meet cousins and walk the streets of Ballymena where his mother lived as a young girl. His trip allowed him to see the house where his Dad grew up., the church where his parents were married , and the ocean side village of Portrush where his Mom had holiday swims. He was thrilled to meet cousins and second cousins and learn as much as he could about his parents' early years. The Campbells and the McCormicks in Ireland loved George and made this a real trip of a lifetime. So we can cross that off his list- Mission Accomplished.

Number 2 reads BE A GOOD FRIEND:

George did his best every day to make this happen. If you were lucky enough to have George as a friend, then you had a friend who was genuinely interested in your life. He would do whatever he could to make that life easier. I think everyone can recall how when his best friend, Jim, was unable to drive for 9 months, George became his daily connection with life outside of home. He would call every day to see where they needed to go, pick him up and gladly act as chauffeur. He did it happily because Jim was his friend.

Last week Jerry, his friend of 40 years, wrote him an e-mail looking for some help for his troubled young grandson. George immediately offered to drive to Ajax and talk to the family.

But there was more to his friendships than being a problem solver. The guys had their share of laughs as well as some deeply serious discussions. From what I understand they were as likely to be discussing relationship issues as they were the stock market!

Jim, Randy, Ken and Jerry are here today because George was a part of their lives. I have no doubt that they will confirm that he met his second objective of being a good friend.

What is next on this list?

BE A GOOD BROTHER AND BROTHER-IN-LAW:

George loved his sisters, Ede and Rosetta, and wanted them to know it. In Ede's case, it was easy- he was available for coffee and conversation 3 or 4 times a week. We spent hours with them, sitting at Wendy's or Tim's or in the car on little trips to Bobcaygeon, just enjoying each other's company and sharing our thoughts on life's mysteries. George called Rosetta regularly, asking about her family and her own daily life. They had heartfelt talks and he cherished the visits she made to Canada. He definitely was a good brother.

What else was important enough to go on his bucket list?

MAKE LASTING MEMORIES FOR CHELSEA AND MADISON:

From the minute Chad's daughters were born he became a central figure in their lives. Madison and Chelsea will have the photos we took to remind them of the thousands of hours they spent with Grandpa...

-nights at the cottage sitting at the campfire roasting marshmallows and making 's'mores

-afternoons at the zoo where Grandpa watched as they played on the monkey bars and climbed the spider web

-weekends away in Toronto or Kitchener or Ottawa for hockey games and gym meets and swimming in the hotel pools.

Around home they will remember climbing up on his knee or getting help with their homework or performing their latest play for him.

YES...I think he accomplished that goal too.

Next would be

BE A GOOD DAD.

This was easy for George. He loved his sons so much that more than anything else in life he wanted them to be happy. He was at his happiest when he could be with them and he sought every opportunity to be involved in their lives.

With Jesse, it meant including him at all our Sunday dinners and holiday gatherings and attending his Special Olympics events and having him at the cottage for his summer break.

Because Chad has Louise and the girls, George became part of their circle, offering to pick up the girls from school, join Chad for a hockey practice, or take the whole family away for a weekend. George was quietly thrilled when Chad would call and ask him to come out to Canadian Tire for an hour or join him on a workday because he was driving to Bancroft.

Matt is still in our home so contact with him was easier but no less special. I know one of his favourite times was Monday night at 9:00 when he would join us in the bedroom to watch House....Matt on the bed with me and George in his chair next to us. Matt shares his dad's openly affectionate ways so hugs and “I love you”s were common occurrences. This past December George considered it the ultimate honour when Chad and Matt decided to go to an AC/DC concert and invited him to join them. He agreed without a second of hesitation.

We all agree that he surpassed his goal of being a good father. In fact as Matt said on Monday he was “perfect!”

George would have had two more wishes on his bucket list. The first of these he achieved. He would write down,

6.MAKE SURE SANDY KNOWS HOW MUCH I LOVE HER. And I did.

He told me every day how important I was to him..how wonderful a mother...how special a grandmother. He even said so behind my back. Often when I would meet a co-worker of his for the first time the remark would be made, “so you are the special woman George is always raving about.” I knew he loved me. He was a romantic and if a slow favourite song was playing on the radio, I would reach out my hand and we would be dancing cheek to cheek around the living room.

To some it may seem that I looked after him, but these were in day-to-day mundane ways like preparing his dinner and making him coffee. Yes, I did the laundry and most of the household chores. But behind the scenes he quietly looked after the important things, keeping us financially secure, buying a cottage to ensure family times together and instituting traditions like Sunday dinner on Franklin Drive and Christmas morning at Chad's house. He was making plans that would ensure we would be a strong family forever. I looked after the details while he was creating the big picture.

He was my counsellor when I needed advice and my strength when I needed support.

Yes. I certainly knew he loved me.

Finally there would be one more wish on his list – one he could never attain.

It would read

7.LET THINGS ALWAYS BE THE SAME. George did not like change. He was so content that he wanted things to stay exactly as they were...the girls not to grow up, Matt and Sam to stay living with us...But life doesn't work like that and we are here today trying to come to grips with the most devastating change of all. Yes, we will continue to have our Sunday dinners, our weekends away, and our summers at the cottage, but something will be missing. And yet in spite of our present sense of loss, I have to believe that in time our hearts will heal, and we will recover. We will feel gratitude for the years he was with us. I know we can honour him by always remaining the close loving family he would want us to be.

A number of months ago, George and I went with Bill and Ede to see a movie called the Bucket List. Two men were terminally ill and decided to make a list of the things they wanted to do before they 'kicked the bucket'. Their lists had things like climb Mt. Everest and swim with dolphins and other adventures. In the following months, I joked with George about things that would be on my list...an NFL game...seeing Gordon Lightfoot and he made those happen for me. But his list was much different. Although he didn't write down what he wanted to accomplish in life I know very well how his list would have read.

CONNECT WITH MY ROOTS IN NORTHERN IRELAND: George's trip to Ireland was all about his family history. He wasn't there to climb the Cliffs of Moher or sit in a pub in Belfast or visit the castles on the coast. He was there to meet cousins and walk the streets of Ballymena where his mother lived as a young girl. His trip allowed him to see the house where his Dad grew up., the church where his parents were married , and the ocean side village of Portrush where his Mom had holiday swims. He was thrilled to meet cousins and second cousins and learn as much as he could about his parents' early years. The Campbells and the McCormicks in Ireland loved George and made this a real trip of a lifetime. So we can cross that off his list- Mission Accomplished.

Number 2 reads BE A GOOD FRIEND:

George did his best every day to make this happen. If you were lucky enough to have George as a friend, then you had a friend who was genuinely interested in your life. He would do whatever he could to make that life easier. I think everyone can recall how when his best friend, Jim, was unable to drive for 9 months, George became his daily connection with life outside of home. He would call every day to see where they needed to go, pick him up and gladly act as chauffeur. He did it happily because Jim was his friend.

Last week Jerry, his friend of 40 years, wrote him an e-mail looking for some help for his troubled young grandson. George immediately offered to drive to Ajax and talk to the family.

But there was more to his friendships than being a problem solver. The guys had their share of laughs as well as some deeply serious discussions. From what I understand they were as likely to be discussing relationship issues as they were the stock market!

Jim, Randy, Ken and Jerry are here today because George was a part of their lives. I have no doubt that they will confirm that he met his second objective of being a good friend.

What is next on this list?

BE A GOOD BROTHER AND BROTHER-IN-LAW:

George loved his sisters, Ede and Rosetta, and wanted them to know it. In Ede's case, it was easy- he was available for coffee and conversation 3 or 4 times a week. We spent hours with them, sitting at Wendy's or Tim's or in the car on little trips to Bobcaygeon, just enjoying each other's company and sharing our thoughts on life's mysteries. George called Rosetta regularly, asking about her family and her own daily life. They had heartfelt talks and he cherished the visits she made to Canada. He definitely was a good brother.

What else was important enough to go on his bucket list?

MAKE LASTING MEMORIES FOR CHELSEA AND MADISON:

From the minute Chad's daughters were born he became a central figure in their lives. Madison and Chelsea will have the photos we took to remind them of the thousands of hours they spent with Grandpa...

-nights at the cottage sitting at the campfire roasting marshmallows and making 's'mores

-afternoons at the zoo where Grandpa watched as they played on the monkey bars and climbed the spider web

-weekends away in Toronto or Kitchener or Ottawa for hockey games and gym meets and swimming in the hotel pools.

Around home they will remember climbing up on his knee or getting help with their homework or performing their latest play for him.

YES...I think he accomplished that goal too.

Next would be

BE A GOOD DAD.

This was easy for George. He loved his sons so much that more than anything else in life he wanted them to be happy. He was at his happiest when he could be with them and he sought every opportunity to be involved in their lives.

With Jesse, it meant including him at all our Sunday dinners and holiday gatherings and attending his Special Olympics events and having him at the cottage for his summer break.

Because Chad has Louise and the girls, George became part of their circle, offering to pick up the girls from school, join Chad for a hockey practice, or take the whole family away for a weekend. George was quietly thrilled when Chad would call and ask him to come out to Canadian Tire for an hour or join him on a workday because he was driving to Bancroft.

Matt is still in our home so contact with him was easier but no less special. I know one of his favourite times was Monday night at 9:00 when he would join us in the bedroom to watch House....Matt on the bed with me and George in his chair next to us. Matt shares his dad's openly affectionate ways so hugs and “I love you”s were common occurrences. This past December George considered it the ultimate honour when Chad and Matt decided to go to an AC/DC concert and invited him to join them. He agreed without a second of hesitation.

We all agree that he surpassed his goal of being a good father. In fact as Matt said on Monday he was “perfect!”

George would have had two more wishes on his bucket list. The first of these he achieved. He would write down,

6.MAKE SURE SANDY KNOWS HOW MUCH I LOVE HER. And I did.

He told me every day how important I was to him..how wonderful a mother...how special a grandmother. He even said so behind my back. Often when I would meet a co-worker of his for the first time the remark would be made, “so you are the special woman George is always raving about.” I knew he loved me. He was a romantic and if a slow favourite song was playing on the radio, I would reach out my hand and we would be dancing cheek to cheek around the living room.

To some it may seem that I looked after him, but these were in day-to-day mundane ways like preparing his dinner and making him coffee. Yes, I did the laundry and most of the household chores. But behind the scenes he quietly looked after the important things, keeping us financially secure, buying a cottage to ensure family times together and instituting traditions like Sunday dinner on Franklin Drive and Christmas morning at Chad's house. He was making plans that would ensure we would be a strong family forever. I looked after the details while he was creating the big picture.

He was my counsellor when I needed advice and my strength when I needed support.

Yes. I certainly knew he loved me.

Finally there would be one more wish on his list – one he could never attain.

It would read

7.LET THINGS ALWAYS BE THE SAME. George did not like change. He was so content that he wanted things to stay exactly as they were...the girls not to grow up, Matt and Sam to stay living with us...But life doesn't work like that and we are here today trying to come to grips with the most devastating change of all. Yes, we will continue to have our Sunday dinners, our weekends away, and our summers at the cottage, but something will be missing. And yet in spite of our present sense of loss, I have to believe that in time our hearts will heal, and we will recover. We will feel gratitude for the years he was with us. I know we can honour him by always remaining the close loving family he would want us to be.