Evelyn Laurene Campbell

10.06.1926—11.12.2022

Our family has lost their beautiful, kind, and loving wife, mother, and grandmother. Her pride in and her love of her multigenerational family was endless. She left a huge hole in our hearts, soothed by 96 years of memories and love. Laurene loved her Kansas roots, as she was born in Independence, Kansas, home of the Little House on the Prairie books and The Wizard of Oz. Her family soon moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where Laurene met her life-long love, Frank, in fifth grade; in seventh grade, he walked her home from orchestra carrying her violin. Their first date was in high school at a church-sponsored skating party. Frank and Laurene got engaged while they were still in high school, but kept the engagement secret from family and friends as they knew their parents would think they were too young. They were married in August, 1947, while attending Tulsa University, a true love story that lasted 75 years and included homes in California, Wyoming, North Dakota, Utah, and Colorado. Laurene received a degree in business and the honor of Tulsa University Business Woman of the Year in 1948; she then joined Frank in Palo Alto, California, as he worked on his advanced degree at Stanford University. She was looking for a job as a high school business teacher when she was hired by the Kemp Agency in San Francisco. There she sharpened her short-hand skills which served her well throughout the years, especially when she wanted to write a note that prying eyes couldn’t read. After Frank graduated, they moved around the country depending on where his field job for Chevron took him. They settled in Denver for many years with their young family, and Laurene became very active in PTA, Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts. A final job-related move took them to Orange, California, where the four kids grew up and flourished under her guidance. While in Orange, Laurene volunteered as chairman for the American Cancer Society and donations doubled under her leadership. She went back to school and received an Elementary Teaching Credential from Chapman College and was hired as a kindergarten teacher, which became her passion. After their retirement, Frank and Laurene moved to northern California, once again settling in Palo Alto to be near their grandkids. After many of those grandkids grew up, Frank and Laurene made a final move to Manhattan Beach, California, to be near another grandchild, with Laurene helping out in his classes. Frank and Laurene traveled throughout the world, enjoying trips to places like England, France, China, and Indonesia. Forever the teacher, she loved exploring historic sites throughout the U.S. with her granddaughters, adding in side trips to cemeteries and libraries for her genealogical research. She was a voracious reader, her favorites being mystery novels and biographies. Laurene made a huge impact on all of her family: children, grandchildren, and their significant others, and countless nieces and nephews. She was very proud of all of them and her role in shaping them to become the best they could be. She will be missed every day, but her family and friends were fortunate to have her wisdom and guidance for so many years. Love you and miss you terribly.

In lieu of flowers, please read a book or read a story to a child in her memory.