AHS Class of ‘56 Edward Campbell Passes Away
Edward E. Campbell, age 83, of Vancouver, Washington, died August 3, 2021 from complications due to Parkinson’s Disease. He was born on July 29, 1938, to Janice and Edward Lytle Campbell Jr. in Visalia, California.
Ed was a 1956 graduate of Allen High School. He was a four year letterman in football, captain of the Mustang team in 1955, also all-conference and all-district tackle that same year. Other activities were: president of his freshman class, president of student council, sports writer for the Mustang, lettered in basketball one year, member of the F.F.A. in 1954, as well as playing a leading role in the Junior and Senior plays. Ed is remembered as having a dictionary in his pocket at all times. One of his favorite slogans is “Self Praise is Half Scandal”. He graduated from Tulsa University and University of Oklahoma School of Law. He served in the Oklahoma Army National Guard where he reached the rank of Sergeant, specializing in communications. Short-wave radio remained a life-long interest and part-time hobby.
He married Joan Lou Messier of Tulsa on June 11, 1960, and they had two children, Karen Campbell of Everett, Washington and Jennifer Campbell Young of Monrovia, California.
Shortly after graduating from law school, Ed and Joan moved to Duncan, where they lived for twenty-five years. Edward worked as an attorney for Halliburton Services Company until he retired from his position as Assistant General Counsel in 1991. His tenure at Haliburton included working in the London, UK office from 1974-1978 where he had the opportunity to travel extensively throughout Europe and the Middle East.
After retiring from Haliburton, Edward and Joan moved to Norman, where they lived until 2017, when they moved to Vancouver, Washington to be closer to their daughters. Despite their move to Washington, Edward remained a devoted Sooners fan and Oklahoma continued to have a special place in his heart.
Hobbies included genealogy with family vacations strategically destined for the cemeteries of Western Arkansas and Salt Lake City, Utah. Edward loved collecting stamps and coins from all of the places he traveled. He was also an avid reader and student of history, politics, and theology. His interest in religion inspired him to teach Sunday school at the First Presbyterian Church of Norman. Edward was an influential teacher and always garnered the focused attention of his audience especially if the topic involved the battle of Gettysburg, a subject on which he was particularly passionate.
Edward was a lover of music from all genres especially classical and musicals. While living in London he instilled his love of the arts in his daughters whom he took to the theater on a regular basis. This included a trip to the Royal Albert Hall to hear a performance of the William Tell Overture in the “standing room” only section. Positive memories of this experience remain with his children to this day.
Edward was survived by Joan L. Campbell, who passed away in October 2022.
He leaves his children, Karen Campbell and Jennifer Campbell Young; his grandchildren, Grace Young and Elizabeth Young; and a younger brother Joseph Campbell of Salem, Virginia. He was preceded in death by his parents, Janice and Edward L. Campbell, siblings, Blair Lytle Campbell of Saugus, California, and Paul T. Campbell of Broken Arrow.
Funeral services were held on August 11, 2021, at the Park Hill Cemetery in Vancouver with the Revered Theodore Buck, Columbia Presbyterian Church, officiating.