May 27, 1930 - December 4, 2018
Earl Campbell passed away peacefully December 4, 2018. Born on May 27, 1930 Earl was the eldest son of Leslie Campbell and Aldyth (nee Waites). The Campbell family owned and operated Revelstoke's Hillcrest Dairy, located on the bench land above the CP rail yard starting in 1907. After earning a scholarship to UBC where he graduated in Agricultural Engineering Earl purchased the dairy from his parents in 1954 and ran it from then until 1956 when the highway construction bisected the farm.
After his career as a dairy farmer, Earl moved to Vancouver to pursue a graduate degree in food technology at UBC. After graduation and a couple of years in the sugar beet industry in Taber Alberta, he went to work for Nalley's initially in Vancouver but then in Tacoma where he helped develop cheese puffs. Wanting to come back to Vancouver he joined Royal City Foods in New Westminster where he worked until he retired.
Earl loved the outdoors and spent many happy hours fishing, hiking and snowshoeing in the Pacific Northwest, Rogers Pass as well as exploring the backroads of the American Southwest by car. He was an avid and accomplished nature photographer and sidestepped many encounters with bears, and even one with a cougar alongside his dog Rufus. He was known for his ability to "speak" with deer and Whiskeyjacks. Throughout his life the farm was central focus, he returned often to enjoy the outdoors, Rogers Pass and to watch over the land.
Earl sold the last piece of the farm in Revelstoke this summer. He established and continues to contribute to the community through the Hillcrest Campbell scholarship which helps a Revelstoke student with post-secondary education as well as multiple donations to the Revelstoke Museum.
Predeceased by his first wife Muriel Campbell and long term girlfriend, Peggy Seale, he is survived by his sisters, Aldyth (Kevin, Lianne and Carol) and Sheilagh (Aldyth, Jim, Jean) and his son Dan (Colin, Hilary and Kirsten). Earl's relatives will get together next spring to celebrate his life, talk about bears and days past. His ashes will be placed in the family plot in the Revelstoke Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers and to celebrate his life please donate to the scholarship fund.
Hillcrest Campbell Award fund
Revelstoke Community Foundation
Suite D, 301 Victoria Road West
PO Box 2398
Revelstoke, BC V0E 2S0
A kind and gentle man whose was often heard to say "Is there anything I can do to help" , even if there wasn't. He will be missed.