Jeanne Martell Campbell, our beloved mother and grandmother, passed away peacefully on the morning of December 10, 2018.  She was 96.

Jeanne was born at St. Mary's Hospital in San Francisco on September 12, 1922. The only child of Anne Loretto O'Neil and John Martell, she was a second-generation San Franciscan, a distinction that made her very proud.  She attended Francis Scott Key School for grammar school, and then went to Presentation High School, where she was active in theater and drama and had the lead in many school plays. She studied piano for six years, and she often played piano and sang for her daughters when they were children. Her rendition of "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" was particularly memorable.

Precocious and sharp, Jeanne graduated from Presentation at age 16 and moved on to Cal, Berkeley.  It was there that she made many lifelong friends, some of whom visited her in her final months.  Jeanne was a member of the Alpha Xi Delta sorority, and she often described her fun-filled years at Cal as a highlight of her life.  In 1943, she graduated with a degree in public speaking and drama.  Jeanne then spent an additional semester at Cal earning a California teaching credential.

It was also at Cal that Jeanne met the love of her life and soul mate, our dad and grandfather, Bob Campbell. They were married in 1943, two months before Bob was deployed to fight in the Pacific Theater during World War II.  While Bob was away, Jeanne taught first grade at Paul Revere School in San Francisco while living at home with her mother. She was twenty-one years old at the time.

After the war and Bob's return, Jeanne retired from teaching to start a family. She and Bob had two daughters, Diane and Susan. Her family moved to Atherton, a place referred to by Jeanne's mother as "the country."  There Jeanne devoted her time to volunteering in many capacities.  She was a room mother, a Brownie and Girl Scout leader, the chair of every school fundraising event, and a chaperone for all field trips.  When her daughters joined the Ladera Oaks swim team, Jeanne and Bob helped to run the swim meets.  Jeanne became the official team cheerleader, even stirring up the spirit by leading cheers from atop the tables at Rosati's Beer Garden.  During these years, Jeanne was also active in the Peninsula Children's Theater Association, eventually becoming its president.  Her daughters recall the pride they felt as children when she played the lead role in numerous productions. Her most memorable role, as Jack in Jack and the Bean Stalk , necessitated climbing up and down a swinging green bean stalk.

Jeanne was also a founding member of a monthly bridge club that flourished for over forty-five years. She was a talented bridge player and enjoyed playing the game for all of her long life. An avid golfer, she and Bob were charter members of Sharon Heights Golf  & Country Club, and they also were active participants in the Sequoia Hospital Foundation, often chairing its annual fundraising golf tournament.

Jeanne's dedication to Bob and her daughters spilled over exponentially to her three adored granddaughters, Jeannie, Edie, and Mackenzie.  Known to them as "Mama," she never missed her granddaughters' swim meets, and she was there for every one of their basketball, soccer, and water polo games. Throughout the years, she happily and proudly watched all three of her granddaughters graduate from college and go on to lead productive and meaningful lives. Diane recalls that nearly every conversation she had with her mother over the past few years included words of praise and pride for Jeannie, Edie, and Mackenzie. This past August, Jeanne was particularly delighted to be the guest of honor at Jeannie's wedding to her longtime fiancé, Tim.

As members of "The Greatest Generation," Jeanne and Bob lived their life together by espousing the virtues of honesty, generosity, loyalty, education, and "family first."  Their 67 years of marriage, which ended when Bob passed away in 2011, was a true partnership and romance.  Not one to display sadness, Jeanne pressed on after Bob's death with her characteristic steeliness and grace, though her family knew that she missed him tremendously, just as they did. Jeanne recently remarked to Diane, in an unusual admission, "Your father made my life worthy."

Jeanne leaves behind many loyal, lifelong friends, notably Doris Sedgwick, Rita Vogel, Dottie Golden, and Marilee Beatty. She is survived by her five "girls," Diane Campbell, Susan Campbell, Jeannie Campbell-Urban, Edie Campbell-Urban, and Mackenzie Campbell, and by her new grandson-in-law, Tim Stone. We will miss her terribly, but our hearts are enduringly grateful for the richness and love that she brought into our lives.

Family and friends are invited to attend a memorial mass on Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 11 a.m. at St. Denis Church (2250 Avy Avenue, Menlo Park) with a reception to follow elsewhere.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to St. Anthony's Padua Dining Room , 3500 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025, or to a charity of your choice.