Obituary of Kathleen Theresa Campbell

New Glasgow: Campbell, Kathleen Theresa (MacDonald), May 4, 1925 – August 22, 2018 The family of Kathleen Campbell announce with profound sadness the passing of their Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, Sister, Sister-in-law, Aunt, Great-aunt, Cousin and Friend. She was the North Star to a large and blended family. Kathleen Campbell had an amazing reach and with each passing year her arms grew longer and longer so she could encircle those arms to include everyone that she loved. Born in New Glasgow, she was the daughter of Florence and Alex MacDonald (affectionately known as Alex the Barber). One of twelve siblings she was the oldest of six girls: Helen(d), Mary Claire(d), Florence, Jeannie, Dorothy, and her brothers Norbert(d), Ronnie(d), Jimmy(d), Carl(d), Buddy and Johnny. She and her family could be found in the house on the corner of 193 Granville Street for many, many years. This was the home where Kathleen would also bring up her own family. It was a joyful household that was a swirl of activity that only a family of twelve children can bring. Over the years that followed and the family branched out far and wide, her brothers-in-law became like brothers, and her sisters-in-law like sisters. She attended schools in New Glasgow and graduated from Mount Saint Bernard College in 1945. She worked for seven years after her college graduation with the Federal Government Unemployment Insurance, but had to leave the Federal government as in those days once you were a married woman, you could no longer work for the government. In 1952, she married Lionel Campbell and they had three children Marilyn, Kevin and Brian of whom they were immensely proud. Upon the sudden death of Lionel in 1959 as the result of a car accident when Marilyn, Kevin and Brian were just six, four and two, Kathleen did what she has become known for her entire life. She stepped up and soldiered on with her classic elegance, style and grace. In 1959 she went back to work doing office work for two doctors becoming over the years that followed, the office manager for the West Side Medical Centre. Her two doctors, Dr. Ed Skinner and Dr. Johnny Williston and their families and the patients that they looked after for so many years, well, they fit as well into the circle of her arms. She ran the West Side Medical Practice as an example of efficiency, care and discretion. She could tell you what the Skinner boys were up to and the Williston kids just like she could her very own. Kathleen exemplified the true definition of family. With her mother Florence, always known as Mamma, and her niece and nephew, Carolyn (MacConnell) and Ronnie MacDonald (deceased) and her own three children, they all built a household of love and support, determination and accomplishment. Lionel’s mother, Mrs. Hugh (Kate) Campbell, aka Nana, was never forgotten and woven into the fabric of her family and all family events as well. There were many important additions to their family. Bobby Mitchell, who was as much a son to her as a son-in-law and Marilyn were married. She thought the sun rose and set on Bobby. Just as her mother Florence had before her, she became the centre strand of the braid that was her grandchildren’s lives. First Kaitlin (Kevin’s daughter) and then Rebecca and Jonathan (Marilyn and Bobby’s children). Some years later Kaitlin and Drew (Graham) brought two more into her fold to love: her beloved Jax and Oliver. This summer with the weddings of Rebecca to Jeff (Lanthier) and Jonathan to Emily (McPherson), her "list to love" added the two newly minted spouses. When you are part of a family of twelve siblings the first thing you learn is to share. Kathleen shared her love with her family with little distinction as to which branch of the family tree you followed to get there. Mel (MacConnell) whom she thought the world and Carolyn were married and then came their girls, Shelley (Gord) and Robyn (Jeff). To Carolyn and her girls and their children, Kathleen was always known as "Neen" and she could tell you without missing a beat what Morgan, Abby and Thomas and Carly and Jenna and Miah and Jorja were up to. She was so proud of them all, her Sutherland and Burrows families. If you loved them, then she loved them…Jane Cameron, Kevin’s partner; Shelley MacDonald affectionately known as Brian’s Shelley; Bob and Lois Mitchell, Bobby’s parents; Gayle and John Robert and their family, and of course all her siblings and their children. Although their numbers had declined now by half, she kept in constant contact with her late brother Ronnie’s wife, Anne, Buddy and Betty, Florence and Brian, Jeannie and Allan, Dorothy and Fred, Johnny and Paula and her late brother Jimmy’s wife, Kaye, a regular visitor and long-time friend. In more recent years Kathleen retired to her apartment in Stellarton determined to remain "an independent" living on her own until a fall in mid-July and she was hospitalized. She was able to maintain this independence with the support of the VON and care from her family. Her friends from the Medical Centre: Ruth MacLeod, Jeanne MacCara, Phyllis Williston, Jean Skinner and Brenda MacDonald were always faithful and her Krissy MacLean lunch dates and her weekly trip to her favourite hairdresser Bobby Brine, kept her engaged. She also looked forward to her regular visits from long-time friend Mildred MacDonald. We often struggle to find that one word, a descriptive, that says it all when defining an individual. What made her truly unique was that Kathleen Campbell was seamless. There was no stitching that showed, no flaw, no thin line of glue that marked where she was put together, nothing that when held to the light of life showed any cracks. She showed no form of discrimination. Maybe it was her faith, maybe her upbringing or her circumstances, maybe all of the above. When the ledger of her life is reviewed the numbers that fall on the credit side of those to whom she was kind and good and respectful and warm and bright eyed, to be full to overflowing. On the debit side …well that remains a zero. Her cupboard was never bare of homemade squares and her tea kettle never unoffered. And maybe if you were really lucky there might be something that had her famed boiled icing on top. She kept her pain out of the line of sight. Her faith no doubt corralling that God would not ask her to carry more than her shoulders could bare…so she did. The loss of Oliver her great grandson and her son Brian, she bore with her ever present grace. She was from the quiet generation. She worked to come back from knee surgery and a stroke that left one side less than obliging like she was an athlete coming back to her game. In her case the game was life. She went to church 45 minutes early so the time it took her to walk down the aisle under her own steam would not be a nuisance or obvious to anyone. It was not her style to call attention to herself and would now feel embarrassed if reading this. For those of a certain vintage who have long lived in New Glasgow, will recall seeing a slim well-dressed perfectly coiffed lady striding down East River Road in the early morning hours, across the bridge and back each evening…for years. That was the determined Kathleen as a working mother. The lady who worked years after others of her era had retired …well that was the ageless Kathleen. She could be found sitting in the cold rink watching Kevin and Bobby play hockey and Marilyn figure skate or at the pool, watching Brian swim. She later became equally as woven into the lives of Rebecca and Jonathan and Kaitlin and Shelley and Robyn as she was with Marilyn, Kevin and Brian. That was the supportive Kathleen. When you are your daughter’s and sons’ best friend as well as their parent … When your grown granddaughter calls Nanny every night to see how she is doing, it means you are doing something right. That was the loved Kathleen. She sent all who came to visit her in her final days at the Aberdeen, where she received outstanding care, on their way with a gentle smile, a small thumbs up for luck and a softly blown kiss…fingers to lips from the arm that sill worked. Her body might have decided it was time to go, but her mind …well not so much. That was the timeless Kathleen. Today we can visualize her, Lionel on one side a hand on her shoulder, Brian on the other with his quiet unassuming smile and young Oliver on her knee and she is saying "I am fine. I had a long wonderful life and now have the best seat in the house to watch the rest of you". There is colour in her cheeks and a curl in her hair and a smile on her face. There is a reason that navigators set their compass to the North Star. It is constant. Kathleen Theresa MacDonald Campbell was a constant. We give thanks for the life we as a family were so fortunate to share with her. Visitation and funeral arrangements have been entrusted to H. W. Angus Funeral Home, 256 King Street, New Glasgow, NS, with visitation on Sunday, August 26, 2018 from 4pm to 8pm. Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, August, 27, 2018 at 11am at St. John The Baptist Roman Catholic Church, 390 High Street, New Glasgow, NS, her home church for her entire life, with Father Tom MacNeil officiating. In her life, Kathleen’s feet and faith were firmly planted in the Golden Rule. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". Showing an act of kindness to someone in need in a gentle unboastful manner would be the perfect way to remember her and would be appreciated by all her family. If you prefer, donations in Kathleen’s memory can be made to the Holy Cross Cemetery Fund, the CWL of the St. John’s Parish or the Palliative Care Unit of the Aberdeen Hospital. Family flowers only please. Oh, I will take you back, Kathleen To where your heart will feel no pain And where the fields are fresh and green I’ll take you home again Kathleen A very special THANK-YOU to long-time family friend Shirley Locke for penning this eloquent tribute to mom. The family of Kathleen Theresa (MacDonald) Campbell