Helen and Douglas Campbell, former Salmon Arm residents, both passed away recently - Helen in December 2019 at age 94, and Doug in April 2020, a week shy of his 97th birthday. Helen Daggett was born and raised in Salmon Arm on the family orchard up by the base of Foothill Road. She was the youngest of five and was well-known for her fun personality and natural musical ability. She taught herself to play piano by ear and ended up playing in local dance bands starting at age 16. After attending Royal Business College in Victoria, she worked at the Parliament Buildings and eventually meeting Doug, a New York City native who was a Flying Officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force (long story). They were married in Victoria in 1945, after which they moved to Montreal to complete Douglas's chemical engineering degree at McGill University.
After graduation they moved to Brooklyn and then to Westfield, NJ, where they lived for the next 44 years. Doug worked at the J.M. Huber Corporation in New Jersey and eventually retired as Vice President of Operations of the Printing Ink Division. During the 70's he served as President of the Board of Education in Westfield, and also as President of the Edison Chamber of Commerce for many years. In the beginning, Helen worked as a secretary on Wall Street. After becoming a mom she was active in Service League, tennis, and bridge. She loved to entertain and they enjoyed many fun, musical evenings with their friends. They travelled extensively - from Europe to Russia to South America - with many trips back to Salmon Arm in the summers.
After retirement they built a summer home in Salmon Arm. They would drive across country every summer with their little dog and spend several months enjoying the beautiful views, fresh air and friendly people. Doug especially enjoyed the Salmon Arm Golf Course. In 1999 they moved their full-time residence from Westfield to Dana Point, California, in order to be closer to daughter, Ellen, son-in-law, Bruce, and grandson Cameron. They continued the summer trips to Salmon Arm through 2005 until they retired from that also. They will be missed by Ellen and her family, their many nieces and nephews, and their little dog, Thumper.