Obituary of Joanne Marie Campbell

Joanne Marie (Dillinger) Campbell was born April 22, 1938, in Climax, Colorado, to James G. and Mary Alice (McCauley) Dillinger, the sixth of nine children. With her children by her side, she passed on November 5, 2021, in Olympia, Washington.

After a few moves in her early years, Joanne's family eventually settled in Castle Rock, Washington, where she graduated from Castle Rock High School in 1956.  On September 19, 1956, she married Dan Lee Campbell of Toutle, Washington.  They moved to Pullman, where Dan finished his education at Washington State (College) University, and their first son, Clinton, was born. They moved to Maryland for roughly two years before moving to Olympia, where their next four children, Brooke, Eric, Colleen and Kevin, were born and raised. Joanne and Dan lived in Olympia the rest of their 63 years of marriage, until Dan's death in August of 2020. 

Joanne was a telephone operator in Pullman, Washington, while Dan finished college. When they moved to Olympia, she worked at raising their five children for the next 25 years. She enjoyed being involved in many of their activities, including the Littlerock PTA.  In the early 1980s, she started and ran her cake decorating business, "Creative Cakes," making special occasion and wedding cakes for nearly 10 years. For many years, she and Dan were active in the Lewis, Mason, and Thurston County chapters of the American Rhododendron Society. In May of 2000, the Shelton Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society presented their highest award, the Bronze Medal, to Joanne for her volunteer work.  

As her family can attest, she loved flowers and especially rhododendrons (of which she had hundreds). She also thoroughly enjoyed birthdays and family gatherings, family history, and writing poems (often included in yearly Christmas cards).  In later years, despite several serious illnesses, Joanne rarely slowed down and loved working outside with Dan on their property south of Olympia, near Littlerock. 

She is survived by her children, Clinton Campbell of Olympia, Brooke (Esther) Campbell of Olympia, Eric Campbell (Erika Aust) of Olympia, Colleen (Tim) Touhey of Chehalis, Kevin (Kathy) Campbell ofOlympia; her grandchildren and great-grandchildren; three siblings, Myrna (John) Johnson of Longview, Dwight (Nancy) Dillinger of Longview, Wayne (Chris) Dillinger of Vancouver, Washington; and numerous nieces and nephews. 

She received wonderful loving care the past two and a half years at Fieldstone Memory Care in Olympia.  We are grateful for their compassion and dedication to those they care for.

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