Trending
Randall "Randy" Lewis Campbell died Sept. 20, 2023, at Ruby Memorial Hospital after battling numerous health issues. He was born Sept. 30, 1950, in Sistersville the son of the late Betty Doreen Summers Campbell and Harold Lewis Campbell and brother to Tammy Campbell of Monticello, GA (Paul Greenlee), and husband to Gayl Ford Campbell.
Randy was an intelligent man full of wit and insight who was able to connect to people he met. He was a 1968 graduate of Sistersville High School, in 1972 Glenville College (Bachelors of Education), and he later earned a West Virginia University Masters of Arts in Special Education Learning Disabilities. During high school, he played football as a guard and after high school he was a lifeguard for several years at Pirateland Family Campground in Myrtle Beach, SC. He began his teaching career in the winter of 1973 at Sistersville High School. While there he became the Head Track coach and started the track program with no track to run on; despite this, it was known as a very successful program due to his efforts; he was the middle school basketball assistant coach; and he was an assistant football coach. In his journal notes he said that he "loved to move, to see, and to be involved." He did just that consistently over those early teaching years by becoming involved in a myriad of school activities. Finally, he did teach and retire 1993-2005 from Tyler Consolidated High, and he became a well-known substitute for Wood County Schools until 2018.
In his first marriage 1980-1994, he became the proud father of three boys: Nathan Campbell of Bluffton, SC; Noah Campbell of Carmel, IN (Kristen and two children Max age 2 and Titus 1 month); and Jeremiah Campbell of Fishers, IN (Liz and two children Tate aged 4 and Bennett 2). He was an involved father through supporting any and all endeavors in which his sons participated. In 1994, he married his wife Gayl of St. Marys, WV (Ford) of 29 years where during this time he became a proud father to his son Gabriel Campbell with whom he was happy to be involved in his life from raising him to playing video games or watching movies and shows together; he is now a student at WVU-P.
Even though his health issues began in 2003, he never let this dampen his enthusiasm for life. He had a love of music, playing his guitar, and camaraderie. Randy enjoyed immensely his family's accomplishments and milestone moments of birthdays, holidays shared, and school accomplishments as well as just seeing videos and pictures of his grandchildren playing and spending time with his family. As he revealed, he wanted "to be involved" and that was what he wished to do with his family.
With acerbic wit, Randy had shared with his wife during one of many countless trips for care that the long-term illness and side-effects from treatments "may not be expected or convenient, but I never was either."
Services will be held at Myers Funeral Home, Main Street, Sistersville, WV, on Sunday, Sept. 24. Visitation will be held from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The funeral service will be at 2 p.m., with Reverend Denver Burnside residing. Graveside service at Greenwood Cemetery, with Noah Campbell providing a eulogy.