June 25, 1926 - March 29, 2024
In loving memory ~
Bill passed away peacefully at home on March 29th with his family surrounding him in his final weeks as he courageously battled bone cancer with steadfast calmness and dignity.
On June 25, 1926 He was born on the family dairy farm near Gibbs Saskatchewan, some 60km N. of Regina. He was the 5th of 6 children born to William (Bill) and Annie (Summers) Campbell.
Bill was predeceased by his parents and all his Siblings and their spouses: Betty (Emmett) Johnson, Mary aka. Mickey (Garf) Scoular, Margaret (Harold) Welsh, Duncan and Stewart as well as in-Laws Alfie (Valerie) Mann.
He is survived by his wife Lennis (nee Mann) of 49.5 yrs. and their 3 children and 5 grandchildren as follows: son Brent; daughter Shiloe and her daughter Tayler (Tyler) and her son Ethen; daughter Beth and her Son Keir-Wren and her 2 daughters Koral and Rayle.
Bill is also survived by his in-Laws (the Mann family siblings) as listed: Linda, Dan, Ron (Hetty) Vern, Julie, Jennifer, Norman (Charito Canero), Carol, Wes (Katie Patterson) and Merl (Colette Grafe). He is also survived by some 3 dozen nieces and nephews.
Bill's family endured many hardships in Saskatchewan as his father spent extended periods in the Sanitorium in Fort Qu'Appelle being treated for T.B. which he contracted after being gassed in the 1st World War. This necessitated leaving the dairy farm soon after Bill finished 1st grade.
The family moved North to homestead in the Carrot River area. Here, early detection of their house on fire meant they were able to salvage enough to continue on until the spring of '41. A grass fire then swept through and destroyed everything.
The parents along with Bill Jr. and Stewart moved to Duncan BC. where they faced 2 more tragedies within 3 years. First Bill Sr. lost his long battle with T.B. About a year later, in August '44, Bill's brother Duncan became a WWII casualty in Italy.
Bill spent the next several decades logging on the Coast enjoying many scenic localities from the Southern Gulf Islands to the Queen Charlottes (Haida Gwaii) and places in between like Knight Inlet, Havannah Channel, Lasqueti, Quadra and Sonora Islands and finally Ramsay Arm.
The demise of the 'Gypo' Logging on the Coast left Bill operating his small equipment rental business, first acquired in Campbell River then opening a 2nd shop in Parksville in '89. After selling the rental shops by '94 Bill spent as many happy hours as possible back on Galiano Is., his healing place where he spent many carefree years after so many losses in his teens.
By 2011 Bill and Lennis spent more time back in the Parksville area on their new acreage where Bill could still cut down some trees and mill them up.
At 93 he also enjoyed operating his excavator and dump truck while digging a series of ponds on their property, attracting successive years of nesting mallards to be enjoyed and protected from the ravens.
A Memorial for Bill will be held at the Bradley Centre in Coombs on June 8, 2024 at 2 P.M.
Please join his family to hear more of his long, inspiring and amazing life.
A special thank you to the home Palliative Care Nurses and Aides as they diligently cared for Bill's needs in his final month.
Service Details
2:00 PM