Obituary of Kenneth Campbell

On Sunday, September 13, 2020, Kenneth W. Campbell passed away peacefully at Morristown Memorial Hospital. Ken was born on October 29, 1932 in Jersey City, NJ to Inez & William Campbell (deceased). He was also predeceased by his older brother and great friend, Richard Campbell. From 1952 to 1955, Ken served his country as a Corporalin the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War. Ken was an excellent athlete and played on the Marine Corps football team. He was also an outstanding marksman and some of his ribbons and medals include the Expert Rifleman's Badge and the Marksman Pistol Badge. After his honorable discharge from the Marine Corps, Ken returned home where he met his beloved wife of 63 years, Lois while working in the police department at Harborsidein Jersey City. Before they had children, Lois and Ken enjoyed going out with his glamourous mother, Inez and his stepfather, Jimmy Rickard. Ken went on to own a bar --- The Wheel Inn --- in Union City with his childhood friend, Sal Frega. After Ken and Lois had their first child, Brian, in 1961, Ken sold the bar and was inducted as a patrolman of The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in 1961. He enjoyed a long and storied career with The Port Authority and retired as a Detective Sergeant. Ken was well-known and beloved bythe men who worked alongside him when he worked asthe Commanding Officer of the Brooklyn Piers. He wasalso a long-standing officer of The Sergeant’s Benevolent Association and retired as First Vice President after serving for many years alongside his friends. Ken was an excellent sharpshooter and received many awards during his career. The most important of his achievements on the force was working at the NYC Port Authority Bus Terminal with teenage runaways to reunite the teens with family members or social services to help them avoid a life on the streets. Ken’s greatest love was his family. He lived for family vacations at his home in Mantoloking where a multitude of family and friends would gather for backyard barbeques and revelry. Ken also loved hosting holidays with his brother’s family -- niece Mary Ellen and nephew Richie at his home –with Lois’ delicious cooking and baking—and Ken’s accomplished bartending! Ken also was the first to say he was married to the most beautiful woman in the room and that he was a lucky man. When he had grandchildren, Ken’s capacity for generosity and love expanded even more—he was so pleased to see and hear of all the achievements of his beloved Miranda, Shane and Rachael and Christina and Michelle. Ken will be sorely missed by his family, but they have faith that he is attending “The Chapel in the Sky,” meeting up with Jimmy Rickard for a Jets game and holding marathon poker games with all his friends. Ken is survived by his wife, Lois; son Brian (Dottie); daughterTracey Zoppi (Phil); grandchildren; Miranda, Shane and Rachael, Christina and Michelle. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, September 16, 2020 from 4 – 7 pm at Gallaway and Crane Funeral Home, 101 S Finley Ave, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920. For further information, or to leave an online condolence message for the family please visit www.gcfuneralhome.com