Clarence Leroy Campbell

EVERY GOOD SOUL DESERVES TO BE REMEMBERED. EVERYONE'S LIFE IS WORTH CELEBRATING. THUS, OBITUARIES ARE WORTH WRITING. IT'S WHY WE WRITE THEM, AND WHY WE LIKE TO READ THEM. THESE ARE SOME OF THE FACTS ABOUT CLARENCE CAMPBELL. THEY DON'T DEFINE HIM, BUT THEY DESCRIBE THE BEGINNING AND THE END OF HIS LIFE: CLARENCE LEROY CAMPBELL, 85, OF DUNDEE, OREGON, PEACEFULLY PASSED AWAY AT HOME ON AUGUST 15TH, 2024, OF HEART FAILURE. HE IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE, SHIRLEE, HIS SON SCOTT CAMPBELL, HIS STEPCHILDREN, DEBBIE LARSON, JULIEANNE DECKER, AND MICHAEL TAAL. HE ALSO ENJOYED FOUR STEP GRANDCHILDREN, JUSTIN TAAL, KATELYNN TAAL, WHITNEY DECKER, AND COURTNEY DECKER. HE WAS BORN IN LA GRANDE, OREGON ON OCTOBER 17, 1938, THE THIRD CHILD AND ONLY SON OF CLARENCE MONROE CAMPBELL AND FRANCES {NEE PECK) CAMPBELL. HE WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HIS PARENTS AND HIS TWO SISTERS, VIOLA AND NORMA JEAN, AS WELL AS HIS BROTHERS IN LAW JERRY AND ROBERT. HE ATTENDED HIGH SCHOOL AT LA GRANDE OR, GRADUATING IN 1957. HE ALSO JOINED THE NATIONAL GUARD AT THE AGE OF 16 AND SPENT THREE YEARS WITH THEM. HE TRIED ONE YEAR OF COLLEGE BUT DECIDED IT WASN'T FOR HIM AND THEN SPENT ABOUT A YEAR WORKING FOR CASCADE MILLS IN LA GRANDE. BUT HE SOON DECIDED THAT IF HE WAS GOING TO MAKE SOMETHING OF HIS LIFE, HE WOULD PROBABLY DO BETTER IN THE MILITARY, SO HE SIGNED UP WITH THE US ARMY. HE SUBSEQUENTLY SPENT TWO YEARS IN GERMANY, LEAVING IN 1963 WITH AN HONORABLE DISCHARGE. WHILE HE WAS IN THE SERVICE, HE TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE AN EDUCATION AS A RADIOLOGY TECH. HE OFTEN LAUGHED ABOUT IT, SAYING THAT HE CHECKED THE ROSTER AND FOUND THE LONGEST SCHOOL THEY HAD AND THAT HAPPENED TO BE RADIOLOGY WHICH HE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT. IT WORKED OUT FOR HIM VERY WELL, AS HE SPENT THE NEXT 20 SOME YEARS PRACTICING HIS CRAFT AT A HOSPITAL IN NORTH BEND, OREGON, A SHORT TIME IN THE DALLES OR, AND FINALLY ENDING OUT AT IMMANUEL (NOW LEGACY) HOSPITAL IN PORTLAND SERVING ON THE TRAUMA TEAM UNTIL 1984. HE LEFT IMMANUEL TO BEGIN ATTENDJNG SEMINARS ON REAL ESTATE, MAINLY TO FIND OUT IF HE HAD GOTTEN THE RUNAROUND ON THE 1ST HOUSE HE BOUGHT ON MISSISSIPPI AVE. IN PORTLAND. HE SAID HE DIDN'T GET TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF AFTER ALL, BUT HE DID FIND HE LOVED THE WHOLE REAL ESTATE THING SO HE WENT ON TO GET CERTIFIED. NOT ONLY IN REAL ESTATE, BUT ALSO BECAME A BROKER AND BEGAN ACQUIRING PROPERTY. SOMEHOW, ALONG THE WAY, HE ACQUIRED A LICENSE TO BE AN APPRAISER AND HEARING THAT THE CLACKAMAS COUNTY ASSESSOR'S OFFICE WAS HIRING, HE ALMOST ACCIDENTALLY GOT THE JOB AND WENT ON TO SPEND ABOUT 27 YEARS THERE LOVING HIS JOB AND THE ABILITY TO DRIVE AROUND ALL DAY AWAY FROM THE OFFICE. HE HAD TWO FAILED MARRIAGES IN HIS YOUNGER YEARS AND CHOSE TO STAY SINGLE FOR ALMOST 17 YEARS UNTIL HE MET HIS CURRENT WIFE, SHIRLEE. HE MET HER THROUGH HIS FIRST COUSIN, MARY JO, IN LA GRANDE AT HER SISTER'S WEDDING. AFTER A WHIRLWIND COURTSHIP WITH SHIRLEE, HE MARRIED HER AT SELLWOOD CHAPEL IN JULY OF 2002. THIS TIME HE WAS MARRIED FOR 22 YEARS UNTIL HIS DEATH. HE LOVED POLITICS, RUSH LIMBAUGH, SWEETS IN GENERAL, BUT PIES ESPECIALLY .... AND THE WIFE THAT BAKED THEM FOR HIM. BUT MOST OF ALL, HE LOVED BEING AT HOME WHERE HE WAS HAPPIEST. HIS BEHAVIOR WAS NORMALLY VERY LOW KEY BUT AT THE SAME TIME HE HAD STRONG PRINCIPLES AND STRONG OPINIONS, FIRMLY STANDING BEHIND THEM. WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT HIM IS THAT HE WAS KIND, AFFABLE AND LIKABLE. HE HAD A SURPRISING SENSE OF HUMOR, CHARMING HIS NURSES FROM HOSPICE ALMOST RIGHT TO THE VERY END. BUT WHAT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT HIM IS THAT HE HAD DEPTHS THAT WERE RARELY SHARED WITH OTHERS. AT THE END HE DIED AS HE HAD LIVED, VERY QUIETLY WITH LITTLE FANFARE, BUT SOMEHOW LEAVING A DEFINITE IMPRESSION ON OTHERS. HE WAS LOVED.

Clarence Leroy Campbell

October 17, 1938 - August 15, 2024