Campbell: Reginald Churchill, Dec. 15, 1940 – Nov. 10, 2019

Reg was born December 15, 1940, in Oyen, Alberta to Gwen and William Campbell. He died peacefully at home with his family by his side November 10, 2019, in Quesnel, British Columbia.

Reg was one of eight children. In his younger years, he lived in a small house on the corner where Halfway Pizza now sits, and this corner was named “Campbell’s Corner.”

His childhood years were spent in Oyen. There was never a dull moment with Reg around. There were many stories about practical jokes and stolen chickens when he was younger.

In 1966, Reg went to Calgary to visit his brother Jim. While there his sister Muriel brought her roommate Bernice Thill. They hit it off and were married in Rimbey, Alberta September 1967.

Reg started his cement business at a young age; with two small tractors equipped with home-built cement mixers. Reg was always a very hard worker and in 1976 bought the shop and land on which Oyen Concrete now sits from Leonard Gripp.

Reg grew his concrete business over the years in Oyen to have cement trucks, gravel trucks and a crane. He built many Butler grain bins around the area.

On March 1, 1973, their first daughter Jacqueline Lynn was born and September 17, 1975, Tammy Dawn arrived.

While in Oyen, Reg was a volunteer fireman and belonged to the Oyen Lions Club and a stock club with many of his friends.

In 1981, Reg sold the cement business in Oyen to Lyle and Lorraine Guckert. In 1982, he ventured to British Columbia to try his luck at gold mining. He would do this for a few years but realized his true passion was cement work.

After a few years of living in Quesnel, he met Shirley Minnett and her children Tammy and Scott.

Reg and Shirley bought a fourplex and over a couple of years, they had completely renovated it into their new home having their home upstairs with two apartments downstairs.

Reg was well known as one of the best cement finishers around. He would get calls from all over British Columbia to come and work. Dad was still doing cement work at the age of 78 when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer in June 2019. His final wish was to build a 28’x26’ shop. All of his family and friends stepped up and made this dream come true. In four short months, he was outside admiring the garage that he had always wanted.

Reg had two grandsons which he thought the world of, Bowen and Jack. He was lucky enough to be able to watch Bowen and his wife Alex motorbike race in Prince George in 2017, and he was able to help Jack build a tree fort and have Jack work for him in the cement business.

Reg was predeceased by his father William Welsh Campbell January 1, 1946, his mother Gwendoline Fanny Campbell May 26, 2000, a brother James Campbell January 8, 2014, and a brother-in-law Glenn Knaus October 6, 2016.

Reg will be dearly missed by his partner Shirley Minnett and their blended family Jackie (Randy) Campbell, Tammy (George) Campbell, Tammy (Dan) Bjornson and Scott (Sachiko) Minnett; his grandsons Bowen (Alex) Lee and Jack Bjornson; his brothers William (Virginia) Campbell and Frank (Alice) Campbell; his sisters Marion Jacobs, Pat Knaus, Sylvia (Denis) Vold and Muriel (Joe) Sevcik; sister-in-law Louise Campbell and numerous nieces and nephews.

He will be laid to rest at the Oyen Cemetery with his parents in the spring.