Obituary of G. Diane Campbell

GAYNELL DIANE SPECK CAMPBELL Gaynell Diane Campbell passed away peacefully at home on November 19, 2020, surrounded by family. She was 88. Diane was born November 8, 1932 in Pine Village, Indiana, on the day Franklin D. Roosevelt was first elected president. Her parents, Amos and Erma (St. John) Speck, reared her on their farm near Pine Village with her brothers Tedd (Barbara) Speck of Pine Village, Jan (Pamela) Speck of Georgetown, Indiana, and her sister Linda (Steve) Williams of Cairo, Missouri. After attending Indiana University, Diane married Billy D. Campbell on June 16, 1951. In their first 40 years of marriage, the Campbells moved 18 times, enjoying homes in Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New York. They moved to Clifton Park three times and ultimately retired there. No matter the location, Diane went to work immediately creating a home for her family and getting involved in the community, knowing, as a General Electric spouse, relocation was likely and there was no time to waste. She joined Christ Community Reformed Church in 1968, where she remains a member. In addition to Billy and her three siblings, Diane is survived by her children: David (Francine) Campbell, Saco, Maine; Mary (Joe) Kearney, Mechanicville; and Todd (Julie) Campbell, Ballston Spa. Diane was a devoted grandmother to Sarah (Nate) Doyle, Megan (Tom) Pond, Ariel (Jack Paleczny) Campbell, Jacob Campbell, Ethan Campbell, Austin Campbell and Owen Campbell. She took pleasure in getting to know her great-grandchildren Flynn, Rhys, Tatum, Thomas and Lila May. Diane enjoyed Road Scholars, especially visiting sites where her ancestors served in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and the Civil War. She volunteered for a number of organizations -- teaching English with Via Literacy, enabling dramatic improvement in the futures of immigrant adults and children; delivering Home Delivered Meals; preparing lunches at the Schenectady Salvation Army Soup Kitchen; serving as volunteer secretary for Shenendehowa Central School District superintendent Dr. Dunmire, Clifton Park Free Library on Cemetery Road and Schenectady City Mission, among others; and mothering the Brownie troop in Clifton Park in 1954. She was an accomplished “maître-d” and chef/cook, preparing excellent meals and great fruit pies for the many gatherings of the Campbells, Kearneys, Doyles and Ponds that took place around her dining room table over the years. She also enjoyed the numerous family vacations, retreats and celebrations of anniversaries and other family events (Poconos, Outer Banks, Adirondack Great Camps, Florida, etc.) Her granddaughters felt that her sewing skills knew no bounds as they were presented custom made apparel for themselves and their dolls. She handmade impressive down-insulated Alpine ski togs for all the skiers in the family. She enjoyed golf at the Lakeshore Country Club while living in Fairview, Pennsylvania, and golf and duplicate bridge at the Edison Club in Rexford. She was a good, but careful, skier. (An observer once remarked that “Diane looked like she stood still and God turned the mountain.”) She enjoyed worldwide travel excursions to Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Ireland/England and a trip to Copper Canyon in Mexico by private train. There were Januaries in Maui, Aprils at the Masters Golf Tournament, Augusts in the Adirondacks. Diane was happiest when her family gathered. Among the many moves and much travel --whether you called her wife, mother, Gram, sister, aunt or friend -- she proved “home” is not really a place – but, rather, connectedness, woven together with love. First and foremost, though, she was the devoted wife of Billy and together, they take great pride in their 69 years of marriage, the family they raised and the happy times they shared living, loving and caring for one another. Funeral services will be private. We will celebrate Diane’s life at a time when it is safe to do so for friends and extended family. Remembrances may be made in Diane’s honor to: Christ Community Reformed Church Memorial Fund 1010 NY-146 Clifton Park, NY 12065 Smile Train 33 Third Avenue, 9th Floor New York, NY 10017 Doctors Without Borders USA P.O. Box 5030 Hagerstown, MD 21741-5030