Jerry Gene Campbell

Jerry Gene Campbell died of lung cancer at the Circle of Life Hospice in Bentonville, Ark., on April 11, 2012. He was born in 1928 in Russellville, Ark., to Raymond Ivy Campbell and Martha Petillo Campbell. He grew up in Paris, graduated from Paris High School in 1946, and mined coal there, belonging to the United Mine Workers of America. He and his father also co-owned a coalmine in Poteau, Okla. After the coal industry declined, Jerry tried a variety of jobs — milkman, newspaper advertising salesperson for the Daily Oklahoman, and construction work in California (helping to build the irrigation channels there) — before getting hired as an insurance adjustor for Motors Insurance Corporation (MIC), a subsidiary of General Motors. He worked his way up through the ranks, ending his GM career as MIC branch manager in Columbus, Ohio. Retiring to Rogers, Ark., he served with the Gideons, taught adult Sunday school classes at Bella Vista Baptist Church for 15 years, and discovered a latent passion for golf. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Johnye (Shelton) Campbell; his daughter of Bloomington, Minn., Cindy Earnest; her sons, Matthew Earnest, Matthew's wife, Meagan, their daughter, Isla, and Andrew Earnest; another daughter of Lafayette, Colo., Leigh Campbell-Hale, her husband, Charley (Pete) Hale, and their sons, Benjamin, James and John Hale. His sister, Pat Wright of Bella Vista survives him, but his parents, as well as his younger brothers, James Ray and Billy John Campbell, preceded him in death. Following Jerry's wishes, there will be no memorial service. His cremated remains will be interred at Benton County Memorial Park's Rose Garden Columbarium. Any donations on his behalf should be made to the Salvation Army (479) 636-8522 or www.salvationarmyusa.org and to the Circle of Life Legacy Village Hospice (479) 872-3300, 901 Jones Road, Springdale, AR 72762, www.nwacircleoflife.org in honor of Jerry Gene Campbell. His family would like to thank Circle of Life Hospice employees for their compassionate care, and we'd especially like to thank hospice nurse, Tim Darnell, for being an angel of mercy. Online tributes to the family may be made at www.bentoncountymemorialpark.com. Arrangements are with Benton County Memorial Park Funeral Home and Crematory of Rogers, Ark.