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In Memoriam

Bruce J. Campbell - Class Of 1962 VIEW PROFILE

Bruce J. Campbell

*Bruce was so excited about his 50th reunion that he was the first classmate to tum in his
biographical sketch. So it was especially sad to learn that he died surldenly on Aug. 15, just nine
days before he planned to celebrate with his classmates at Paul Revere's.

 

After OHS, I graduated from Ferris State College (now FSU) in Big Rapids, with a degree in
Business Administration. Both of my parents graduated from Ferris, and I loved everything
about college. As most of us were draft..bait back then when our student deferments ran out, I
joined the Marine Corps Reserve. I endured six months active duty at beautiful Parris Island,
then went to monthly meetings and summer camps for the next five and a half years. Honorably
discharged, thank you. Semper Fi.


I wanted to work for the Oldsmobile Division of GM, but there was a UAW strike at the time I
got off active duty from the Marines, and Oldsmobile wasn't hiring. I took a sales position with
a pharmaceutical company, Syntex Labs out of Palo Alto. I called on doctors in the Lansing/
Jackson/Battle Creek area, "detailing" their products.


It was in this period that I met and married my darling wife Connie. A great move on Bruce's
part. She has put up with me for almost 43 years now. We have two wonderful sons.
The GM strike ended, and with the help of Chuck Gifford's father, I got hired by Oldsmobile and
was assigned to the Kansas City Zone sales office. For the next 20 years I moved up (slowly)
in their organization, living in KC, Wausau, WI, Peoria, IL, Naperville, IL, and Rochester Hills,
MI. I left GM in the spring of 1990. One of my better moves.


I joined the Infiniti Division of Nissan, and loved the people and the cars. After moving back to
Naperville to work in their Chicago Regional office, I was assigned to the Tennessee/Alabama/
Mississippi territory, living in a suburb of Nashville. I retired over 5 years ago. We are in the
same house in Brentwood, and we love Tennessee.


After retirement, I bundled all my home services (yard, maintenance, and pool) and found an old
retired guy from Okemos to do the work. He is slow, but works cheap.


Connie and I travel about 5 weeks a year, mainly in the U.S. My son told me I had become
a couch potato, and that I was on the golf, bourbon, & cigar diet. He motivated rne to get in
slightly better sbape, and I am now a "gym-rat" at my local YMCA. I do about six triathlons a
year. I was never a jock in high school, but now can hold my own in my age-group. Swim, bike,
run, it's so much fun.

 



Click here to see Bruce J.'s last Profile entry.