Nancy A. Campbell

Nancy A. Campbell, 96, of Phoenix, Arizona passed away peacefully on November 25, 2025. She was born on July 13, 1929, in Toledo, Ohio to John and Alice Gass. She lived a vibrant life marked by curiosity, generosity, a zest for adventure and unwavering devotion to her family and friends. She graduated from Michigan State University in 1951 with a B.A. in Journalism and was actively involved with her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, in college as well as for many decades after as an alumna.

After college, she worked a variety of jobs in her favorite cities across the country, to feed her sense of adventure and love of travel. With the close of that chapter of her life, she took a 7-month, side trip with friends to Great Britain, Europe, North Africa, Greece, Turkey and San Francisco before finally settling in Phoenix, where she took a full-time job as a Marketing Research Assistant with Del E. Webb Corporation. Soon after a wonderful man entered her life, William E. Campbell, who shared her love of the outdoors and snow skiing as they both were very active members in the Phoenix Ski Club. They married in 1964 and Nancy devoted herself to being a full-time homemaker, raising their two beloved sons with warmth and care. They were an active family enjoying skiing trips, boating, hiking, tennis and camping. When the boys got older, she took a part-time position at their school, where her kindness and dedication brightened the days of students, parents and staff; where she later retired with lifelong friendships.

Nancy was the heart of her family-the grandmother who never missed a game, event, performance or milestone. She cheered enthusiastically from the sidelines at basketball games and every activity her grandchildren pursued, always ready with encouragement, hugs and unwavering dedication.

With her trademark positive attitude and boundless sense of adventure, Nancy continued to explore the world well into her early nineties. Her extensive international travels took her to Antarctica, New Zealand, Australia, China, the Galapagos Islands, Iceland, Norway, Russia and Cuba as well as many domestic trips, with each journey adding new stories to share with family and friends. She loved animals and was good at spoiling her pets. She was an avid volunteer for many years at local hospitals, voting polls and her retirement community. She was an accomplished bridge player and a voracious reader, often reading the newspaper cover-to-cover on most days and always in the middle of a good book. Nancy lived fully, loved deeply, and left the world brighter for having been here. She will be greatly missed and forever remembered.

She was predeceased by her husband of 40 years, William (Bill) Campbell, her parents and two of her siblings. She is survived by her two sons and their wives, four grandchildren, one sibling and several nieces and nephews. The family will hold a private memorial in the spring to spread her ashes at a cherished outdoor location. Should friends wish to remember her in a special way, the family suggests donations to Hospice of the Valley or the AZ Humane Society in her memory.