Ronald John Campbell

On March 28, 2020, Ronald John Campbell of Richmond, British Columbia, 86, passed away peacefully in the presence of family after a short struggle with cancer.

Born in 1934, Ron is survived by his wife of 40 years, Faye Anita Margolis, his four children Leslie (Marianne), Louanne, Ruth (Al) and Stephen (Carolyn) and Faye’s children, Mira (Steve) and Jeffrey (Janée) as well as grandchildren: Sydney; Connor; Brendan; Georgia; Coleman; Rory; Lev; and Sloan. He is also survived by his brothers, Doug and Reginald and first wife, Shirley Campbell-Pearse of Edmonton. He was predeceased by first son Richard Coleman Campbell (1956-1960). Ron Campbell, middle child in a family of six sons and one daughter, was born in Timmins, Ontario to parents Lloyd Campbell and Georgia Rose McLean.

Lloyd was a miner and gold prospector (whose cousins discovered the Campbell Red Lake mine) and the young family spent time in Rouyn-Noranda PQ, Geraldton, and a log cabin in the tiny mining town of Bankfield. Father Lloyd left to work on the Alaska Highway during the war, while his wife and children lived in Sudbury. The whole family settled again in Timmins in 1945 and once there they integrated into town life and the oldest boys became notable hockey players with Ron as their biggest fan. In step with the times, the Toronto Maple Leafs - Montreal Canadiens rivalry was a big feature of Saturday night in the Campbell household and hockey was a common touchstone for the Campbells from then on. Ron attended Timmins High School and worked stints as a train yard engineer and Timmins police officer.

In 1955 he married Shirley Latham of Timmins and they had son Ricky in 1956. Drawn to religious service in part because of his admiration for his strict Baptist father, Ron decided to attend bible school to become a pastor. In January 1957 Ron and Shirley and four month old Ricky moved to Castile, New York to attend Elohim Bible Institute. Ron was forced to cut bible studies short in 1958 when Ricky became sick with leukemia and entered treatment at Sick Children’s Hospital in Toronto. Unable to pursue a religious calling, Ron worked manual labor jobs in factories and on construction sites to make ends meet and eventually became a delivery truck driver and then supervisor for the Pepsi Cola Company (coincidentally starting a lifelong love for Pepsi products!).

Ron and Shirley had four children between 1960 and 1967, living in Etobicoke, Rexdale and Brampton, Ontario. After moving on from Pepsi, Ron started a soft drink vending business and afterwards got a job with the Gibson Greeting Card Company as a sales representative. With a large family to support, he accepted a transfer with the company to Winnipeg in 1968. In Winnipeg, Ron was a successful sales representative for Gibson and subsequently Maltby Brothers Ltd. as well as a deacon, church leader and Sunday school teacher at Kirkfield Park Baptist Church. Always interested in left wing politics, Ron was energized by the victory of Ed Schreyer and the New Democratic Party in Manitoba in 1969, and became a party canvasser and returning officer on behalf of the NDP for several elections after that. His admiration of social demomocratic principles and policies was often out of step with his contemporaries in Baptist church life, but Ron was always willing to travel his own road and relished chances to discuss and debate, even with those who did not share his political views.

After the end of his first marriage in the late 1970s, Ron met Faye Margolis and started a different chapter of his life. Becoming part of Jewish social circles with Faye, Ron also became an active step father to Faye’s young daughter, Mira Sucharov. Ron and Faye married in 1980. After a few years, Ron was promoted to Western Sales Manager with Maltby Brothers Ltd. and hired Faye to manage part of the British Columbia territory. Ron and Faye relocated to Faye’s childhood city, Vancouver, where they lived for the next 36 years.

In the Vancouver area, Ron and Faye owned and operated a number of businesses including two busy laundromats in the Gastown area of Vancouver, a popular Vancouver restaurant called “Chez Faye”, a video store in Langley and Faye’s fashion wholesale business. He had treasured relationships with family members living in B.C. including his nieces from Shirley’s side, Gloria Harman and Glenda Affleck, Glenda’s husband Ian and family, brother Peter and his wife Eve, nephew Keenan Campbell and his wife Carmen as well as Faye’s first husband Max Sucharov and wife Rebecca Toolan. A favorite activity was breakfast at the White Spot in Richmond on Sunday mornings with Glenda, Ian and any others who could make it.

Although Ron was always keenly interested in politics and social democracy, he was never able to pursue a political career and instead became an advocate for the least powerful, often tackling unpopular causes in robust debates with friends and colleagues and giving generous gifts to vulnerable people and others that he perceived as marginalized.

An avid and skilled Scrabble player, Ron played multiple games with Faye almost every day and they participated in several Scrabble tournaments. Golf was another passion, and when actual golf games became less frequent, Ron played the game vicariously through his avid fandom of Tiger Woods. Personally attending and witnessing Tiger’s win at the US Open in 2008 was a highlight of his life. Ron was also known to enjoy sports betting and could often be found at the local harness racing track with friend Amir Nasseh. It was a rare day when he did not read the New York Times front to back.

Ron was always proud of the accomplishments of his children and in recent years he derived great joy from his grandchildren. He made many extended trips to Ottawa, Edmonton and Washington to act as a caregiver and welcomed grandchildren into his home. Few grandparents had as much unadorned pride and happiness as Ron when hearing the exploits, achievements and sometimes sadnesses of his grandchildren. He was also close to his brothers, James, Clinton, Reginald, Peter, Doug and sister Joy and his many nieces and nephews.

Prior to his passing, Ron received several meaningful written tributes from friends that noted his, “commitment to justice and defence of the little guy”, “unwavering stance for social democracy” and “humility and utter lack of pretension.”

Ron died at home, grateful for the loving care he received from Faye, and surrounded by those closest to him. He left this world at peace, content in the culmination of a humble, honest life well lived and happy that his family and friends will continue to treasure their best memories of him.

You are invited to leave a personal message of condolence for the family.