Charles P. Campbell

Charles Pickering Campbell died with his sister by his side and his hospice CNA (Great Lakes Caring formerly Grace), Nicole attending at the Forum in Overland Park on Tuesday afternoon, August 1, 2017. He died after a decline for many months with a number of health issues before hospitalizations this summer for severe health issues including a major septic infection, anemia and pneumonia.

Charles was born 6/29/1955 at St.  Luke’s (Plaza) hospital in Kansas City, Missouri.   He first lived in Shawnee, Kansas attending Neiman School, before moving to Overland Park with his family in 1961 where he attended Sequoya and Osage Schools and Broadmoor Junior High.  When the family moved a bit further south, he attended Indian Creek Junior High and graduated in 1974 from Shawnee Mission South.  He received an AA degree from Johnson County Community College in 1985.

During the majority of his working life, he was employed in food related jobs as a cook or server beginning with Putsch's Cafeteria at 83rd and Mission Road while he was in high school.   He continued on with jobs at various establishments including Taco Via, Days Inn and Jose Pepper’s (17 years.)  At one time, he was employed at the Sears Metcalf South location in their automotive department.

He lived briefly in Grandview before moving to Independence in 2008 where he worked for a time at Cracker Barrel before employment at Walmart as a stocker and greeter for seven years.  He was a Christian with affiliations as a child and youth at Merriam Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), then Overland Park Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and later attendance and affiliations with Grandview Fellowship/South Kansas City Fellowship/International House of Prayer.

Over his lifetime, Charles had a number of varied interests including food/cooking, rocks, minerals, automobiles (especially muscle cars), trucks, weight lifting/body building, welding,  sculpture, guns, martial arts,  medicine, Asian medicine,  acupuncture,  photographs/artistic renditions of tigers, spiders/scorpions (as long as they were not alive but taxidermy.)   He loved Blaze, his Blue Heeler mix dog. He enjoyed movies involving Biblical and Greco-Roman settings as well as television and movies with a setting in the early West of the United States.

He was preceded in death by his father, William Morris Campbell (2007); mother, Beryl Dean (Pickering) Campbell (2013); beloved uncle, Charles Donald Pickering (2009).  Also preceding Charles in death were his aunt,  Doris Jean  Pickering (1961) and maternal grandparents Sarah  Elizabeth (Sally) (Brockman)  Pickering and Charles  Pickering as well as fraternal grandparents Susan (McAlister) Campbell and Millard Campbell  and loving second cousin Sarah Ellen Campbell  (1981.)  Charles was saddened by the more recent loss of good friends Tim Sheehan and Robert (Bob) Wenzel.  He is survived by his sister Maurica Sue Campbell as well as good friends Katie Garcia, Bob Gentry, Jane Joseph, Doug and Drew Levine, Greg Maxwell and Gerald Riff.

His sister Maurica will miss him: the family times together (meals, Christmas, crazy family vacations), a spell  in the past of roller  coaster riding, playing recreational volleyball  together,  being called “sausage legs” as well  as eating at various restaurants and attending the gem and  mineral show.

Gratitude to CenterPoint Hospital, Serenity (formerly Manor Care & Leisure Terrace) in Overland Park, St.  Luke’s South and the Forum of Overland Park for their care and patience with Charles. Gratitude also to Dr.  Khanh Nguyen of Encompass medical group and Dr.  Paul Hura and staff of Kansas City Medicine Partners.  An especial thank you to Dr. Theodore "Ted” Williams of College Park Family Care for over 15 years of association with and care of Charles. Appreciation for “long term care” (since 1999) by family attorney, James E.  Ewan of McElligott, Ewan and Hall.

Memorial Service to be held at Amos Family Funeral Home, 10901 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, KS, 66203 on Wednesday, August 16th at 2:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, it is suggested memorial be donated in Charles’ name to:

International  House of Prayer
3535  East Red  Bridge  Road
Kansas City, MO, 64137

or

Overland  Park Christian Church
7600 West 75th Street
Overland  Park,  KS, 66204