Joan Campbell | Obituary | The Norman Transcript
Joan L. Campbell passed away on October 3, 2022, in Vancouver, Washington at the age of 85. She was born on January 31, 1937, to Florence and Robert August Messler in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Joan graduated from Tulsa University with a Bachelor of Arts degree and the University of Oklahoma with a Masters in Social Work. She began her postsecondary academic journey as a scholarship student at Tarkio College in Tarkio, Missouri. After two years, she returned to Tulsa and continued her studies where she met her future husband Edward E. Campbell of Muskogee, Oklahoma. They married on June 11, 1960 and had two children, Karen Campbell of Everett, WA (age 56) and Jennifer Campbell Young of Monrovia, CA (age 53).
After graduating from the School of Social Work, she supported her growing family while Edward finished law school. Shortly after his graduation they moved to Duncan, OK, in 1966, residing there for twenty-five years.
Joan touched the lives of many through her dedication to volunteerism and social services. She continued her commitment to improving the lives of others as a volunteer and social worker in Stephens County Oklahoma. Joan was a stalwart supporter of Christians’ Concern, during her time in Duncan, and enjoyed helping the ecumenical community address the needs of those with limited means.
When her family moved to London, England from 1974-1978, Joan volunteered as a social worker in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the city. After moving to Norman, she joined a Women’s Church Circle, at the First Presbyterian Church of Norman. The group ministered to people in need throughout the community and helped manage a half-way house for families in crises.
Joan was devoted to her children and believed strongly in education. She and Edward shared their love of musicals and theatre, which they passed onto their daughters. Joan made sure her children were able to experience the many wonderful cultural experiences available in London, which later influenced their decisions to explore new places and travel widely.
After Edward retired from the Haliburton Services Company, he and Joan moved to Norman, OK, where they lived until 2017, when they moved to Vancouver, WA to be closer to their daughters. Despite their move to Washington, Joan remained a devoted Sooners fan and Oklahoma continued to have a special place in her heart. She was an “Okie” through and through especially during basketball season when she got to watch her beloved Sooners play a game she dearly enjoyed.
Joan had a lovely voice and sung in the church choir while living in Duncan. She soon joined a singing group after moving to Vancouver where she made many new friends who became part of her new family. They performed regularly at the retirement community where she and Edward lived to the delight of the residents there.
Other hobbies included cooking, sewing, reading with a particular fondness for novels by John le Carré, knitting, and being a devoted grandmother to her two grandchildren whom she visited often in California. Joan also loved dogs especially terriers. Although she was unable to have a dog when she moved to Vancouver, she was the best friend to every dog she met.
Joan is survived by her children, Karen Campbell and Jennifer Campbell Young, her grandchildren, Grace Young (age 14) and Elizabeth Young (age 12).
Funeral services will be held at 12:00 pm, October 10, 2022, at the Park Hill Cemetery with the Revered Theodore Buck, Columbia Presbyterian Church, officiating.
Memorials or donations may be made to Clark County Food Bank in Vancouver, WA; the Colombia Presbyterian Church of Vancouver, and the University of Oklahoma.
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