Wallace Campbell, Iii

Wallace Campbell, III, of Peace Dale, Rhode Island, died February 6, 2011 at the age of 93, in Peace Dale at The Scallop Shell, site of the former residence of his great aunt, Caroline Hazard. He lived a life of honor, truthfulness, self-sacrifice, and valor, devoted to his community, his country and his family. Born on August 3, 1917 in Syracuse, NY, the first born of Wallace and Mary Bushnell (Hazard) Campbell, Mr. Campbell was a descendant of one of Rhode Island’s founder families, the Hazards, settlers in Rhode Island in 1639. A graduate of Milton Academy, 1937 and Yale University, 1941 with a BA in English Literature, he was a member of the Timothy Dwight College, Zeta Psi, and the Phoenix Society. While at Yale, he was the representative for LIFE magazine and president of the Yale Community Council. Mr. Campbell served his country in the navy in World War II. He began active duty in October of 1941 and was a Naval Aviator until February of 1946 when he was released to inactive duty with the rank of Lieutenant. His two years as Patrol Plane Commander in Liberators and Privateer type aircraft took him to sea duty in the Atlantic, the Pacific and European theatres of operation. During his last tour of duty he became a Squadron Engineering Officer, VPB 116, where his work involved not only flying, but navigation, communications, ordnance, and combat training for his twelve man crew and the responsibility of overseeing maintenance and crew training for fifteen multi-engine aircraft. His area of operations included the English Channel, Bay of Biscay, the Caribbean, the Atlantic coast and forays between Iwo Jima and the Japanese mainland. He writes: “Punctuating it all is the memory of the thunderous roar of take-off as you pushed the four throttles forward and released the brakes to go shuddering down the runway and into the sky.” He received the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with three stars. His flying experience in enemy territory gave him the assurance that each day was a precious gift and he lived his remaining fifty-five years with a profound zeal for life. Following his naval service, he became an account executive at the advertising firm of Noyes & Company, Providence until 1957 when he served as a partner at Sturges, Chaffee & Hazard, investment agents. He continued as a private investment advisor and trustee until 2005. Mr. Campbell was a Life Member of the Hope Club, elected after his war service in 1946. As a boy walking the Narragansett beach with his mother he inquired about a pile of lumber on the dunes, and was told that it was for the construction of a new club: The Dunes Club, of which he became a founding member in 1938. He also belonged to the Agawam Hunt, The Saunderstown Yacht Club, and Mt. Mansfield Ski Club. He served as Chairman of the R.I. Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, and was Chairman of the Agencies Division of the United Fund, 1963. The heritage of his family, both the Hazards and the Campbells, interested him greatly and his work continuing that legacy shows both his commitment to their memory and his desire to honor their accomplishments. Mr. Campbell gained notoriety and gratitude as a diligent and faithful trustee of the heritage of the Hazard family in Peace Dale and Wakefield. In doing so, he advanced several causes close to his heart. He became immersed in the Museum of Primitive Art & Culture in Peace Dale, founded by his grandmother, Mary Pierrepont Bushnell Hazard to honor the collection of her husband, Rowland Gibson Hazard II. Working with an energetic and resourceful board, Mr. Campbell, as Board President, saw the museum’s outreach transformed through afternoon and evening programs, auctions, to which he donated species orchids originally raised by his mother, garden tours, and other fundraisers, expanding the Museum’s presence as a community treasure. The Oak Dell Cemetery, and The Peace Dale Offices, two other family enterprises, also received the benefits of Mr. Campbell’s tireless devotion. Skiing was a passion he pursued throughout his lifetime, from Mount Royal in Montreal, to Davos and Val d’Isère, and to Vermont when he was in his eighties. A lifelong sports enthusiast, Mr. Campbell sailed his Pearson “Ensign” Ocelot on Narragansett Bay with his nephews, played a ferocious game of squash at the Hope Club, and enjoyed canoeing, pond skating, badminton, tennis and surfing in South County. Following the passion of his father, Wallace Campbell II, he joyously recalled fly-fishing and camping trips with him in Wyoming in the 1930s. To his many friends in South County, Rhode Island and France, Mr. Campbell was a gentleman with a raconteur’s wit, a natural grace and a winning smile. His sister, Mrs. Jane C. Smith, of Westwood, MA and Wakefield, RI, his brother, Hugh, of Waitsfield, VT, and several generations of dearly loved nieces and nephews survive him. Two sisters, Mary Campbell and Margaret C. Staley, predeceased him. A memorial service for family and friends will be held March 26 at 10:00 AM in The Peace Dale Congregational Church followed by a reception in Providence. Donations gratefully received at “Wallace Campbell, III Fund”, Museum of Primitive Art & Culture, Suite 5, 1058 Kingstown Road, Peace Dale, RI 02879.