Carol Endress Campbell

Carol Endress Campbell passed away quietly and peacefully on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, in Birmingham, Alabama, at the age of 85.

Born on a cold Monday morning on January 20, 1941, in Montgomery, Alabama, Carol grew up in the Capitol Heights neighborhood and graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in 1959. Though she was widely known for her striking beauty, those who truly knew her understood that her deepest legacy rested in her sweet spirit, quiet strength, and abiding faith in Jesus Christ. Carol never wavered in knowing where her true treasures lay, and through trials, loss, and suffering, she was quick to thank God for her life, her family, and the saving grace she held so firmly. There is little doubt that few longed more earnestly for Heaven or were more ready to enter it than Carol.

She began her professional life as a secretary with the Alabama Department of Public Safety, where she met the man who would become her husband and the love of her life, Brooks Campbell. They were married in November of 1962 in Montgomery and shared more than sixty years of devotion, perseverance, laughter, and partnership. Together they raised a son and a daughter and built a life grounded in faith, loyalty, and deep commitment to family.

As Brooks’ career took them from Alabama to North Carolina and Georgia and back again, Carol was the steady center of their home creating beauty, warmth, and familiarity wherever they lived. She was gifted and creative, able to write, sing, draw, paint, cook, bake, and decorate, transforming the family’s houses into places of welcome and refuge. She had an unforgettable laugh, a keen sense of humor, and an uncanny ability to connect with anyone. People were drawn to her warmth, her empathy, and her gift of making others feel seen and valued.

At the age of 39, Carol’s life changed dramatically with a devastating brain tumor diagnosis that would alter the course of her future. What followed was a lifetime marked by extraordinary resilience. She endured radiation, multiple surgeries, long hospitalizations, and years of rehabilitation -- learning again how to walk, speak, and live within new physical and cognitive limitations. Through it all, she remained gentle, joyful, and deeply spiritual, often declaring with simple certainty, “I am a miracle.” And she was.

For more than four decades, Brooks served as her devoted caregiver with unwavering love and humility, adapting their lives together with grace and humor. Despite immense challenges, they traveled extensively, visiting all 48 contiguous states and several European countries, proving that joy and suffering can coexist.

Carol was a deeply devoted mother and grandmother. Known affectionately as “Cackie” to her grandchildren, she possessed a childlike wonder and a quiet wisdom that resonated deeply with children. They were drawn to her gentleness, her silliness, and her unconditional love. Though her life after illness looked different than she once imagined, her presence left an indelible mark on every generation of her family.

Carol endured further health trials later in life which gradually narrowed her physical world. Yet she never grew bitter. Instead, she filled her days with worship music, sermons, prayer, and gratitude. Her faith remained unshaken, her love enduring, and her spirit remarkably light.

Carol is preceded in death by her husband, her son, her brothers and sister, and her parents. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law; her daughter-in-law; her five grandchildren and one great-grandchild; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, caregivers, and friends who will miss her steady presence, radiant faith, and gentle strength.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Sunday, February 8, at 2:00 p.m. CT at Ridout’s Valley Chapel, 1800 Oxmoor Road, Homewood, Alabama with the family receiving friends during visitation from 1:00–2:00 p.m. Keeping with Carol’s vibrant spirit, the family asks that guests wear bold and bright colors to reflect the joy, beauty, and happiness of her homegoing.

In honor of Carol’s deep faith and lifelong love for the truth and hope in Christ, the family kindly requests that memorial donations be made to Desiring God Ministries (https://give.desiringgod.org/).

Carol’s life was one of extraordinary joy, faith, perseverance, and love. We are thankful she is home now, and she is whole.

Services are under the direction of Ridout's Valley Chapel (205.879.3401) in Homewood.