Gwendolyn Campbell Trudeau

Gwen Trudeau was born on March 6, 1923 to Clare Lowry Campbell and Avis Elder Campbell in Columbus, Ohio at the home of her grandmother. She died December 29, 2011 and was preceded in death by her husband of over 50 years, Andre’ (Andy) Norbert Trudeau and their daughter Dolores Sue. She is survived by her brother Donald Elder Campbell (Yvonne) and her 8 children and their families: Michael (Linda), Gregory (Jeanne), Marie, Phillip (Denise), Martha (Hugh Donahue), James ( Eugene Bible), Laura (Eric Weinbrom), Charles (Michelle), 20 grandchildren, and 5 great grandchildren, soon to be 6. She welcomed Joan Trudeau and Sina Iranpour into her family and treated them as her own children. Her home was always open to visitors, particularly on Saturdays when she routinely had an endless pot of "Saturday Soup." She graduated from North High School (class of '41) in Columbus before attending the Ohio State University for her undergraduate and medical degrees. She was inducted into the Alpha Epsilon Delta pre-med fraternity in 1944, received her BA in 1946, and her MD in 1949. Dr. Trudeau completed an internship at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, MA and returned to Columbus to complete an anesthesia residency at OSU. She was Chief Resident in Anesthesia from 1951 to 1953 and was Board Certified in Anesthesiology in 1956. During her career she worked at the Ohio TB Hospital and was Chair of the Department of Anesthesia and Chair of the Medical Staff at Columbus St. Ann’s Hospital. After retiring from anesthesia, she served as an Assistant Medical Director for Nationwide Insurance. She served a term as President of the OSU Medical Alumni Association from which she later received a 50 year award. She was active in Camp Fire Girls (now known as Camp Fire USA ) and in later life enjoyed visiting Camp Wyandot, the organization’s rustic residence camp in Southern Ohio. She enjoyed photography and was an avid baker, particularly at Christmas. While Andy was alive they enjoyed traveling and visited many states and foreign nations, including Iran, China, Egypt, Spain’s Canary Islands and South America. She spent her final years contentedly at Westminster-Thurber Retirement Community where the staff addressed her as “Doc” and treated her like family. The family will receive friends 2-4 and 6-8pm Monday, January 2, 2012 at Schoedinger Northwest Chapel, 1740 Zollinger Road, Columbus. Funeral Services will be held at 11am Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at King Avenue United Methodist Church, 299 King Avenue, Columbus; Rev. John Wooden, officiating; interment St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, Lockbourne, Ohio. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Camp Fire USA Central Ohio Council, 1890 Northwest Blvd, Suite 240, Columbus, OH 43212 (614) 481-8227 or Westminster-Thurber Community, 717 Neil Avenue , Columbus , OH 43215 (614) 228-8888

Reflections in the Autumn of our Years

What happened to the springtime?

That yesterday of poignant dreams

When life was a new and love was young

Has too soon faded into summer's heat.

The hearts and lives joined in the spring

Brought forth new lives

And with them shared adventures

Into vistas unexplored.

But where has the summer gone?

The deep commitment to hard-earned careers,

Commingled with the sounds of birthing, growth and learning,

Merged into a glorious, hectic celebrations of life.

Then, just a moment's glance away,

And those new lives, no more in need of sheltered nurturing,

Moved on and out to their own spheres.

So, summer has merged softly into autumn -

A rich time, full of love and pride,

As new careers are launched and new loves pledged,

The joy of birth softening the grief at loved one's loss.

Now the autumn is fading, oh so fast;

Ahead I see the skies of winter.

They are gentle skies,

Shedding tears of soft white snow that blankets all the earth,

Enfolding pain and sorrow

In a healing shroud of white.

Gwen Campbell Trudeau

North High '41