DAWN RUE'ANN CAMPBELL

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DAWN RUE'ANN CAMPBELL McKEAG August 15, 1927 - March 24, 2015 At home in Winnipeg, and after a long and fulfilling life, our mother Dawn went to join her beloved Jack. She will be greatly missed by her children: Janis (Clifton Richardson) of Anguilla, WI; Darcy (Tom Crawford) of Sarasota; Kelly (Renee Chateauneuf); Douglas (Odette Heyn) of Calgary/Winnipeg; and her grandchildren Scott (Charaty) Rees, Colin (Amanda Agnew) Rees, Stephanie (Alan) Samuels; Shannon Crawford (Ian Cunningham); and Matthew Crawford. She is also survived by two great-grandchildren: William Rees and Zane Samuels. Surviving are her siblings: Sharon (Victor) Naimish, Sonya (Scott) Wright, Dwili Burns and Pat Drewitt as well as many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband, the Hon. W. John (Jack) McKeag O.C., and her parents: the Hon. Douglas L. Campbell and Mrs. Gladys Campbell and her brothers, Keith, Terry and Craig, and her brothers-in-law Bill Burns and Allan Drewitt. Born in 1927 in Portage la Prairie (at dawn!) Dawn was the fourth of seven children in the Campbell family. Her early years were spent at Delta Marsh, and the family moved to Winnipeg in 1939 after DL was named to the Cabinet in the Hon. J. Bracken government. She attended Robert H. Smith School before moving on to Kelvin High School where she met Jack. Their paths diverged when he went to the University of Manitoba, and Dawn entered the School of Nursing at the Winnipeg General Hospital (now known as the Health Sciences Centre). After graduation, she found great enjoyment in nursing children at the Shriners' Hospital for Crippled Children and was involved in the evacuation of patients to Regina via train during the flood of 1950. Dawn and Jack were married on December 28, 1950 at St. Andrew's River Heights United Church, which became the centre of their social life as their four children joined the family: Sunday School, youth programs, A.O.T.S. and the W.A. In 1962, she became a member of The Junior League of Winnipeg and that was the start of her life-long commitment to volunteerism. The family had a membership in the Winnipeg Winter Club, where she and Jack curled for 30 years. She was thrilled when her team won the Lady Eaton Trophy in 1969. Five years later the team travelled to Scotland where they defeated an all-male foursome in the final match to win the Martel Cognac Cup. A boisterous ceilidh was given in their honour. Dawn and Jack enjoyed visiting many exotic countries, with summers devoted to Granite Lake where the family reunited and Dawn could bake and cook to her heart's content. In 1970, Dawn became Chatelaine of Government House when Jack was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba. She was an excellent hostess for the many and various functions: over 3600 guests enjoyed this hospitality during their six year tenure. As she transitioned from public to private life, she took a Creative Communications course at Red River Community College and joined the Radio Noon staff at CBC. In 1975 she was asked to joined the Board of the Hudson's Bay Company, a position she held until 1988. She also served on the Boards of the Royal Bank of Canada, Dominion Life Assurance Company, Good Year Tire and the Robarts Research Institute in Waterloo, ON. Dawn's volunteer service included the Boards of St. John's Ravenscourt School and Balmoral Hall (where she was involved in getting the tartan for the school). She also served on the fund raising committees of St. John's College and Ducks Unlimited, and as a co-chairman of the Heart and Stroke Foundation. In her later years, her volunteerism became more personal with work in her Church, and in a weekly placement at the Grace Hospital. Among her life-long interests were her needlework, quilting, gardening, cooking and reading. Never one to sit idle, she knit scarves and afghans, which she gave to various Hospices, nursing homes and shelters. Dawn loved people and she loved parties - both hosting and attending them. She was blessed with a unique sense of humour. She loved dancing and homemaking. She was patient, kind and understanding, and carried on Jack's tradition of slipping a little "walkin' around money" to children and grandchildren alike. She was passionate about her flower gardens, her ladybugs and butterflies, and looked upon herself as Mother Nature's helper, nursing along endangered plants and trees - and making sure her bird feeders were always full. A Service of Thanksgiving for her full and adventurous life will be held at St. Andrew's River Heights United Church, 255 Oak Street on Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. If you choose, a donation may be made in Dawn's memory to: The Butterfly House at Assiniboine Park, 15 Conservatory Drive, Winnipeg, MB, R3P 2N5 or St. Andrew's R.H. United Church 255 Oak Street, Winnipeg, MB, R3M 3P7 or Gladys Campbell Memorial Garden 150-9th Street S.E. Portage la Prairie, R1N 3T6. Because Dawn was born with the unusual condition known as Total Situs Inversus, she has donated her body for research to the University of Manitoba Department of Anatomy. The family would like to extend heartfelt thanks to her caregivers, Dr. H Frame and the wonderful people from the Palliative Unit of the WRHA, especially Trish. NEIL BARDAL FUNERAL CENTRE 204-949-2200 neilbardalinc.com

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Mar 28, 2015