Wayne L. Campbell, Sr.

Born: 5/3/1942
Died: 9/18/2011

Mr. Wayne L. Campbell, Sr., age 69, of Wilmington, DE, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Sunday, September 18, 2011 at Cadia of Pike Creek.
Born in Roanoke, VA, on May 3, 1942, son of the late Jesse James Campbell and Amy Taylor Campbell, Wayne proudly served his country in the National Guard from 1960 to 1966. During his varied and interesting civilian career, he was employed in the trucking industry as a dispatcher and worked for 15 years with Guy Johnson Transportation. When the company closed, he accepted a job with Admiral Transportation. He then worked for a short time with Sentinel Self Storage. An avid golfer, his favorite position was with the Vicmead Hunt Club working opposite his brother, Butch, in the locker room.
Wayne worked part-time delivering food to the elderly for Meals on Wheels and volunteered with the Blood Bank of Delaware. He also volunteered as an umpire with the Stanton/Newport Little League. A devout Christian, he attended St. Mark’s United Methodist Church.
In his leisure hours, he greatly enjoyed playing golf with friends, traveling–especially to his favorite beach vacation spots in Myrtle Beach, Puerto Vallarta and Cancun–and cruising with Royal Caribbean. He also delighted in playing all types of music and was a DJ for family gatherings. He spent 30+ years in league bowling, mostly at Pleasant Hill Lanes.
In the 1990s, Wayne and his wife volunteered with the annual LPGA Championship held at the DuPont Country Club. His duties included following the players throughout their rounds carrying the scoreboard. One of his favorite moments was in 1994 when he was chosen from among all the volunteers to play in the tournament pro-am with LGPA tour star, Debbie Massey.
Possessed of a truly amazing memory and an incredible appetite for knowledge, Wayne read a variety of newspapers, particularly his favorites, the New York Times and the New York Post. He collected baseball cards, maps of the places he visited, and photos. An enthusiastic cook, he took great delight in surprising his wife by making special meals. He loved building cozy fires in his fireplace. He was also very fond of reminiscing about old times. A saavy bargain hunter, he was renowned for his frequent shopping trips to the grocery store, the dollar store, and the thrift store, and he loved yard sales.
Admired by all for his excellent sense of humor and fun-loving personality, Wayne was a true and outgoing “people person.” He always had a kind word for each person he met, and everyone–from colleagues at work, to friends at church, to the employees at Shop Rite in Stanton where he made daily trips for his newspapers–enjoyed his friendly manner and engaging conversation. He never forgot a sick friend and often made encouraging visits to them. Wayne was a loving, kind, and happy person who will be sadly missed by the many people who loved him.
Wayne was well known to be at his happiest when spending time with his beloved wife of 50 years, Kathleen A. “Kay” Burd Campbell. In addition to Kay, he is survived by his sons, Wayne L. Campbell, Jr. of New Castle, DE, and James D. “Jamie” Campbell of Wilmington, DE; his brother, Elbert “Butch” Campbell (Barbara) of Newark, DE; his three-year-old granddaughter, Caroline Alexandra Campbell of Wilmington, DE, who was his pride and joy; a devoted niece, Joyce; and his brother-in-law, Dr. Dwight F. Willis (Becky) of Holden Beach, NC, with whom he was reunited last year. Wayne spent many pleasant hours planning a visit to see Dwight when his health improved. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister and brother-in-law, Hilda J. and Charles D. Reynard, and his special pet dog, Haile. He will also be missed by his special friend and roommate at Cadia, Harry Lednam, and his part-time caretaker, Lynn Iman.
A memorial service will be held at 3 pm on Sunday, October 9, 2011, at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 1700 Limestone Road, Wilmington, DE.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Faithful Friends, 12 Germay Drive, Wilmington, DE 19804 (302/427-8514 / faithfulfriends.us) or to St. Mark’s United Methodist Church Food Closet, 1700 Limestone Road, Wilmington, DE 19804.