Ethel Marie Campbell

When Ethel Marie Campbell walked into the room, those in her company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Ethel was and how she impacted those around her. Ethel was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Ethel wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Ethel was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve her well throughout her life.

Ethel was born on November 11, 1943 at at her home in Kennetcook, Nova Scotia. She was the daughter of Calvin and Mary Miller. Ethel was raised in Millers Corner Kennetcook, Nova Scotia. Always at the ready with a good joke, she grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Ethel might describe her as an idealist, her friends and family understood well that Ethel was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to her.

Ethel was raised with 14 siblings. She was especially close to her sister Vivian. Ethel was very accepting and supportive of her family. She was perceived as the central person in her family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Ethel was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Ethel well in her adult life and, along with her wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew her.

As a young girl, Ethel was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew her into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Ethel was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with her peers. She was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Ethel took part in dance. In her spare time she loved going to high school dances. Ethel had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity she and the many childhood friends she shared might discover.

During her high school years, Ethel responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. She graduated from Kennetcook High School in 1960. Ethel was a very good student, and generally did well in her courses. Ethel absorbed as much as she could from all of her teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using her imagination to master her assignments. For Ethel, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to her ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Ethel a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to her to discuss just about anything. Her favorite class in high school was math.

Ethel did well in college, as a result of her comfort level with tackling new theories and her love of learning. She earned her Accounting Degree from Sault College. Her favorite courses were of course, accounting. Ethel was very adaptable, a quality that helped her make the transition from high school to college with little difficulty. As a result, Ethel's problem solving skills and thirst for new knowledge almost guaranteed that she enjoyed virtually every class she took. Ethel was always in quest of new things to learn and experience

With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought her an endless stream of friends, Ethel was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Ethel was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. She always seemed aware of what was going on with people around her and throughout her life she made many, many friends. While growing up, one of her best friends was Vivian McBride. Later in life, she became friends with Denelda Davidson.

Ethel was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide her family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Ethel, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of her life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Campbell home. Ethel's skill at understanding her children's feelings, her sensitivity to their needs, and her gift for gentle persuasion enabled her to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Ethel was blessed with four children, three sons; Wayne, Kevin, Corey and one daughter; Kelly. They were also blessed with eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren, Tara-Lynn, Matthew, Amy-Lee, Tyson, Dakota, Kellanie, Marisa and Elizabeth.

Ethel was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made her an exceptional worker. Her primary occupation was a bus driver. She was employed for 25 years at the Sault Ste. Marie Transit. Ethel was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize her. Ethel had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of her gift for insight. Ethel's fellow workers saw her as a supporter and a mentor.

Because Ethel loved to have a broad variety of activities in her life, she took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were camping, hunting and traveling. Ethel had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of her favorite pastimes. However, Ethel's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

Ethel derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. Her charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. In her college years, Ethel continued to stay active by bowling. Ethel was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite events whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were WWE Wrestling and bowling.

Throughout her life, Ethel was actively involved in professional and community organizations. She was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, Ethel seemed to be the person smack dab in the middle of things, working to get things done. Those who had the opportunity to work with Ethel usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with her, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. In college, Ethel joined the Moose Lodge.

Ethel's love of improvising in her daily life was a perfect fit for her enjoyment of traveling. Her favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit her personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Ethel took her vacations seriously, well, as seriously as she possibly could. Favorite vacations included Las Vegas and Hollywood, California.

Ethel was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. Milly, a Bichon Frise, was a best friend for 7 years.

When Ethel's retirement finally came in 2002, Ethel handled it the way she usually did. She adapted and, like everything in her life, made it satisfying. Because she was such a flexible person and able to adjust to any situation, retirement was just another enjoyable change of pace for Ethel to master. In retirement, she found new pleasure in spending time with family and friends. Even in retirement, Ethel continued to stay in touch with her old friends and like always, made plenty of new ones.

Ethel Campbell passed away on January 9, 2013 at the Sault Area Hospital. She is survived by three children, eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Services were held at the Arthur Funeral Home. Ethel was laid to rest in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Ethel. She was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. She had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While she was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Ethel Campbell for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Ethel was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with her loved ones.

CAMPBELL, Ethel Marie – Peacefully passed away at the Sault Area Hospital on Wednesday, January 9, 2013 at the age of 69. Predeceased by her beloved partner of Gary Wigmore. Loving mother of Kevin, Kelly (Robert), Corey (Trish) and Wayne (predeceased). Cherished grandmother of Tara-Lynn (Mike), Matthew, Amy-Lee (Phil), Tyson (Jessica), Dakota, Kellanie, Marisa and Elizabeth. Great grandmother of 5, Michael, Love (predeceased), Dash, Tryston and Nevaeh. Predeceased by her parents Calvin and Mary Miller. Ethel survived all but 1 of 14 siblings. She will be missed by many nieces, nephews and friends. A private funeral service was held at the Arthur Funeral Home & Cremation Centre on Sunday, January 13, 2013. Mr. Jim Moffatt officiated. Interment Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. Memorial contributions to the Sault Ste. Marie Humane Society would be appreciated by the family. Expressions of sympathy may be offered at www.arthurfuneralhome.com.

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CAMPBELL, Ethel Marie – Peacefully passed away at the Sault Area Hospital on Wednesday, January 9, 2013 at the age of 69. Predeceased by her beloved partner of Gary Wigmore. Loving mother of Kevin, Kelly (Robert), Corey (Trish) and Wayne (predeceased). Cherished grandmother of Tara-Lynn (Mike), Matthew, Amy-Lee (Phil), Tyson (Jessica), Dakota, Kellanie, Marisa and Elizabeth. Great grandmother of 5, Michael, Love (predeceased), Dash, Tryston and Nevaeh. Predeceased by her parents Calvin and Mary Miller. Ethel survived all but 1 of 14 siblings. She will be missed by many nieces, nephews and friends. A private funeral service was held at the Arthur Funeral Home & Cremation Centre on Sunday, January 13, 2013. Mr. Jim Moffatt officiated. Interment Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. Memorial contributions to the Sault Ste. Marie Humane Society would be appreciated by the family. Expressions of sympathy may be offered at www.arthurfuneralhome.com.