Gerald Campbell

Gerald Campbell, 99, passed away December 20, 2023 . He resided in Glendale, CA at the time of his passing.  He was born February 11, 1924 in Woodward, Oklahoma, the third of seven children raised on a farm outside Woodward.  He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1943 and was sent to boot camp in San Diego.  There his commanding officer recommended him for officer training and he was sent to the University of Southern California School of Engineering.   That's where he met his future wife,  Phyllis Clement, in a freshman English class where seating was in alphabetical order.  He graduated in 1946 and they married after she graduated in 1947.  He began working for Los Angeles City Water & Power in the Mechanical Design Section in 1946.  He and Phyllis had their first child, Janice Elaine, in 1950.  Janice was born with Down's Syndrome and he helped Phyllis found The Campbell Center in 1954 in Glendale to give support and resources to special needs people like her.  The center is still in operation.  He was called back to active service in the Navy in 1951 and served two more years.  Their second child, Gerald Stanley Jr.,  was born in 1953.  Gerald stayed active in the Naval Reserve until 1975 and retired from Water & Power in 1980.   He and Phyllis traveled extensively after he retired.  They were both active in the First United Methodist Church in Glendale.  Janice Elaine passed away in 2016 and Phyllis in 2017.  He is survived by his siblings, Bill and Marilyn, and his son, Gerald Jr.                                            Arrangements are under the care of Forest Lawn, Glendale, CA.