Douglas Campbell (1912--2007): Obituaries
Clarke County Courier, Virginia (February 1, 2007)
Douglas Campbell, 94, of Berryville, Virginia died Jan. 27, 2007 at his residence. He was born June 23, 1912 in Dumbarton, Scotland, to Joseph Douglas Shaw Campbell and Elsie Miles Campbell. Mr. Campbell was a self-employed electrical and mechanical engineer. He was a friend of the Berryville Presbyterian Church and a member of the Northern Shenandoah Valley Audubon Society.
His first wife, Eleanor Mary Kathleen Cowie Campbell, whom he married on Aug. 23, 1941 in Rugby, England. died on May 29, 1983. He married Jane Marshall Cook Campbell on March 16, 1984 in Perth, Scotland. Surviving with his wife are a son, Duncan Surtees Campbell of Chile and a daughter, Allison Margaret Hohnbaum of Portugal; three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Services were held Feb. 1, 2007 at Berryville Presbyterian Church, Berryville with the Rev. Jonathan W. Bunker officiating. Burial was private. Memorial contributions may be made to Berryville Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 46, Berryville, 22611 or to Blue Ridge Hospice, 333 West Cork Street, Winchester, 22601. [Enders and Shirley Funeral Home, Berryville]
Winchester Star, Virginia (January 30, 2007)
Douglas Campbell was born in Dumbarton, Scotland, in 1912. He studied electrical engineering and, during World War II, worked on arms research [1] in Coventry, England. Afterwards, Douglas managed an engineering works in central Scotland, later forming his own business, which he ran until retirement.
Douglas was a man of many interests, with a deep appreciation of the natural world. A keen hill-walker and accomplished mountaineer, he made several climbing trips to the Alps during the 1930s. With car-trailer and RV, he toured extensively: in Britain, Western Europe, South Africa and the lower-48 United States, studying the local history and compiling a photographic record of his travels. Other destinations included Sri Lanka, and Patagonia, at the southern tip of the Americas, at age 90 .
Douglas met his first wife Kathleen Cowie through a common interest in Scottish Country Dancing; they were married in 1941, and had two children: Duncan, now in Chile; and Allison, in Portugal. Grandsons Alasdair and Neil Campbell, and great-grandson Owen, all in Northern Virginia; and granddaughter Anya Hohnbaum in Scotland. It was Douglas's dedication to his family that held together this dispersed "clan".
After Kathleen died in 1983, Douglas did not lose his zest for life. The following year he married Jane Marshall Cook, also recently widowed, and left his beloved Scotland for Clarke County, Virginia. For both of them, the last 23 years were a time of renewed vigor and happiness. An active member of the local community, he enjoyed giving illustrated talks to the local Audubon Society; and his "slide shows" were popular with the Berryville Senior Center. He proudly declared his Scottish roots by wearing the kilt on formal occasions.
Douglas's flower garden, created out of a simple patch of woodland and changing with the seasons, is an enduring tribute to his tenacity and creativity. Our memories of his life will forever be fond and proud. [The Family]
Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal (2007 edition, Vol. XL, No. 198, p. 656)
Douglas Campbell was one of life's fortunate people, blessed with excellent health and a sharp enquiring mind. Born in Dumbarton in 1912, he was raised in Coventry. Overcoming limited educational opportunities, he made a career in electrical and mechanical engineering, later forming his own business.
From an early age, Douglas's enthusiasm for the outdoors led him to the hills and his climbs were extensive both at home and abroad. When wartime came, Douglas and his wife Kathleen spent several years in the Vale of Lorton in the Lake District, later moving to North Lanarkshire. Then, as the children grew, his focus changed to weekend hillwalking as well as caravanning trips in Britain, Western Europe and Scandinavia even travelling as far afield as South Africa and the United States.
After Kathleen's death in 1983, Douglas was undaunted. He remarried the following year, emigrating to USA aged 72 years. Unflagging travellers, he and his wife Jane crisscrossed the lower 48 States, visiting most National Parks, plus countless State parks, nature reserves and historical sites. They also travelled to Portugal, the Galapagos Islands, Costa Rica and Chile. Although Antarctica remained an unfulfilled dream, he did make a road trip to the Andes of southern Patagonia aged 90 years.
Douglas's travel reflected his love for the natural world, and concern for its preservation. An ever present camera was the means to share these interests with his family and the wider community. His mountain years were an excellent foundation to a fulfilling life. [D.S.C.]