Faith Ellen Campbell

Faith Ellen Campbell passed away quietly in the comfort of her home in the loving care of her husband, Jay Campbell in the early morning of 6 December 2022 after fighting a 30-year battle with breast cancer. Faith was born in Mercy Hospital, San Diego, CA on 13 May 1944 to parents Joe and Betty Kisler. Her father was serving in the U.S Marine Corps and they lived in military housing in Pacific Beach. Faith spent her early years in San Diego, attending elementary school at St. Brigid Catholic School, and even as a preschooler she excelled as a talented young dancer, featured on the newly operated Channel 8 television station.

In 1952 the family moved to Ontario, CA and Faith continued her education at St George Catholic School before attending Pomona Catholic High School, graduating with honors as a Lifetime CSF Member in the class of 1962. She then attended UCLA as a History and English Major and it was on campus, at a dormitory dance in the fall of 1963 that she met Jay. Their friendship grew throughout the course of their time at college, attending football games, sharing a class or two and walking together to classes from the dormitory. While in her 5th year, earning her teaching credential, Jay finally asked Faith out on an “official date” to a dance in the spring of 1967 and he was hooked for life.

Faith began her 40-year teaching career in the fall of 1967 as a primary grade teacher at Andasol Elementary School in Northridge, CA. During the Christmas holidays that year, Jay proposed while on leave from his flight training as a Naval Aviator, and Faith accepted, despite her Marine father’s warning about marrying a Navy “squid.” On 15 June 1968 they married, and Faith began her second career as a Navy Wife. With only a week’s leave granted by the Navy, their “Honeymoon” was a cross country drive from Ontario, CA to Pensacola, FL. The young couple hit the road again in late July, bound for Beeville, TX where Faith volunteered to teach first grade at the local elementary school while Jay completed advanced jet training.

Quickly on the move again, Faith returned to San Diego in early 1969 and after substitute teaching during the spring, was offered a full-time teaching position in the Encinitas Union School District at the newly opened Capri Elementary School site. Her career in the Encinitas District spanned 4 decades, beginning as a 4th and 5th grade teacher, earning her Master’s Degree at SDSU, serving as Director of Curriculum for the District, serving as vice principal and culminating in a return to the classroom as a 5th and 6th grade teacher. Faith’s true passion was to be with the children in the classroom, instilling in them a lasting impression of the importance of a good education. She had a special talent to both challenge her students and instill in them the joy of learning, always finding the right way to let each student individually express themselves, in academics, in athletics and in the arts and entertainment. She was a wonderful teacher and role model for more than two generations, leaving a positive imprint on the lives of the over one thousand children she taught.

Faith embraced her role as a Navy Wife with the same zeal and enthusiasm she had in the classroom and used the opportunity to travel throughout the world to be the “girl in every port” for Jay during his many deployments. When they were assigned to a squadron based inVirginia Beach, VA, Faith was granted a two-year leave of absence to accompany her husband, and from July 1975 to January 1976 she traveled throughout the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea for an adventure of a lifetime. In the course of her husband’s career, Faith traveled throughout the world and explored the cultures of populations indigenous to the Pacific, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, and Northern Africa. Her fondest memories were of spending nearly two years living in the community of Gaeta, Italy. In a subsequent tour living in Stuttgart, Germany she found that every time she got in the car for a road trip it veered south, to return to her favorite shopping regions in Italy. Faith was a dedicated leader of Squadron and Air Wing wives’ groups, beginning in the early ‘80’s with the Top Gun wives and culminating with Carrier Air Wing Two in 1991 during Desert Storm. Her sage counsel and even temperament were inspirational to the younger women whose husbands flew in the most demanding operational environments.

In retirement, Faith continued to travel to new destinations, including Ireland, Southern Africa, Israel and Jordan, Lithuania, Southern Baja Mexico, and two more extended trips to Italy and Germany. She kept her passion for adventure and entertainment throughout her life, even when breast cancer recurred after a 20-year remission in 2012. Faith literally danced through life with an enthusiasm that was infectious to everyone who knew her. Always somewhat mischievous, never one to shrink from a challenge, her lifetime mantra was, “I am not a mere girl!” Faith brought joy and happiness to every gathering and was always eager to have friends and family share her home for holidays, or for any occasion when she could bring people together during the year.

An avid reader throughout her life, she enjoyed sharing her love of books with her nephews and nieces and was always an active voice in her book clubs. Faith had a remarkable zest for learning and finding new adventures, never content to dwell on past achievements but always looking ahead with an optimism that was truly inspirational. She was determined that each day be lived to its fullest and despite the ravaging affects of her disease, Faith would not complain or allow it to define her. She was a warrior, a fighter pilot in spirit, and in daily life she was a loving, compassionate, and uplifting best friend and wife to Jay. Faith led an extraordinary life of service to her community and to the nation, and will be most dearly remembered by her extended Campbell and Davis families and her countless friends. She is pre-deceased by her parents Joe and Betty and survived by husband Jay, sisters Celeste (Jeff) Thomas and Leslie Pedro, nieces Jessica and Kris, nephews Matthew, Will, Brett, Wesley, and Ian, and grandniece Claire and grandnephew Cole.

The family has scheduled a funeral mass to take place at 11:00am on December 21, 2022, at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Encinitas, CA and a memorial service and interment at the Miramar National Cemetery at noon on January 6, 2023. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation in Faith’s name to the Susan G. Komen fight against breast cancer at www.komen.org.