Mary Jean Campbell

On July 28, 2024, Mary Jean Campbell, the sweetest wife, mom, and grandma we could ever ask for, returned home to her Heavenly Father to be with family and friends on the other side, having completed her mortal mission here on earth. 

Born March 31, 1949, in Logan, Utah to Mervyn and Margene Willie, Mary Jean (Jeannie), was raised on a farm in Mendon, Utah with her three younger brothers: Paul, David, and Dean. She grew up raising chickens and helping with the dairy cows. 

After graduating from Sky View High School in 1967, Mary Jean went on to study at Utah State University, where she later graduated with a degree in Elementary Education. As she put it: “I wanted to either go into nursing or teaching, and since I couldn’t stand needles – becoming a teacher was the obvious choice!”

It was at Utah State that Mary Jean met Ron Campbell, and they were married June 11, 1969. In late 1970, they welcomed their first child, Kent, into the world. 

Having lived nearly all her life in Mendon, it was quite the adventure when Ron talked her into going to Kenya (Africa) where Ron had a job opportunity. What made it even more interesting was that Mary Jean was 7 months pregnant with their second child at the time. It was in Kenya where their son, Robert, was born.

After nearly a year in Africa, Ron and Mary Jean returned home – settling first at the family farm in southeast Idaho, where they were blessed with their daughter, Camille. They would later move home to Cache Valley, finally settling in Mendon where they would go on to raise their family. 

Mary Jean had a passionate love for the outdoors, and for hiking the Mendon Peak with her good friends. Mary Jean’s love for the outdoors would carry over into her love for gardening and spending time in the yard. Every year she would always get excited about the USDA Bare Root Tree sale and order way too many trees each spring. Her enthusiasm for plants and the outdoors would also carry over to the garden, where there was always plenty of squash, zucchini, tomatoes, and loads of corn. So much so that it was very common to give away a significant portion of the garden’s harvest just because Mary Jean loved being in the garden, tending the crops. 

In addition to gardening and the outdoors, Mary Jean loved sports. She enjoyed a really good game of ping pong (beating her at ping pong was the only time you could get her to swear). She also loved USU Aggie basketball and was a lifelong fan. Whenever there was a game being played, Mary Jean was either watching it in person, watching it on TV, or listening to it on the radio. After retirement, she and Ron always enjoyed going to post-season tournament games to cheer on their Aggies. We are quite certain that we’ll continue to hear her cheering for her Aggies from Heaven! 

Church, community and friends were an important part of Mary Jean’s life. She was always engaged in a project, activity, or civic duty. Mary Jean was actively involved in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints throughout her life, having filled many callings in the Primary, Relief Society, and the Young Women’s organizations, and later fulfilling multiple senior missions with Ron. 

On a daily basis for many years, Mary Jean would go on walks or bicycle rides with her friends or family. She and Ron spent every New Year’s Eve for over 50 years with some of their dearest friends in the community – staying up until the new year playing Pinochle (until the last few years, when they figured 10 pm was midnight Eastern time – and that was close enough). 

After completing her teaching degree in Elementary Education, Mary Jean taught 3rd and 4th Grades at Summit Elementary in Smithfield and later Lewiston Elementary for more than 20 years. Her love for teaching and connecting with children kept her in touch with many of them over the years. 

Mary Jean’s most fulfilling calling in life was that of wife, mother, and grandmother. She loved her family and was deeply committed to them. Throughout her life she was selfless with her time and always accepting of those around her. If you ever needed a helping hand or listening ear, Mary Jean would be there. 

Mary Jean is preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Ronald H. Campbell, and her three children, Kent (Aimee), Robert ‘Rob’ (Angie), and Camille (Kevin Randall). She is also survived by nine grandchildren who will dearly miss baking cookies with their Grandma. 

We have been so blessed these past 16 months by the angels of mercy serving at the IHC Gossner Cancer Center and the IHC Wound Clinic in Logan; at IHC in Ogden and Salt Lake City; as well as those at the Huntsman Cancer Institute and the U of U Medical Center. We express our deepest gratitude to these medical professionals who have helped us, and who dedicate their time and talents to healing and to the relief of pain for humankind. 

Funeral services will be held Tuesday, August 6, 2024, at 11 AM, at the Mendon 4th Ward Chapel (20 North 100 West, Mendon, Utah). Visitation will be on Monday, August 5 from 6-8 PM at the White Pine Funeral Home (753 South 100 East, Logan, UT). A second visitation will precede the funeral services on Tuesday, August 6 from 9:30 – 10:30 AM at the Mendon 4th Ward Chapel. The interment will be at the Mendon City Cemetery.

The funeral service was recorded and can be viewed by clicking the following link: CLICK HERE TO VIEW RECORDING OF SERVICE