Thomas Tullock Campbell

January 18, 1916 - September 21, 2013

Thomas Tullock Campbell passed away from heart failure on September 21, 2013, at his home in Sequim at the age of 97.

He was born January 18, 1916, in Lewistown, Montana, to Thomas Edward Campbell and Kathryn Tullock Campbell. He had one older brother, Donald. He grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he excelled in many sports.

After graduation, he moved west to Seattle, Washington, where he developed a love and passion for mountaineering. He made first ascents on many peaks in the Olympics, Cascades and in Canada.

He joined the Army and was an instructor in the 10th Mountain Division. A climbing accident resulted in the loss of his right arm and subsequent discharge from service.

With one arm, he continued climbing and skiing, and even took a group of Explorer Scouts on their first climb. This group included Jim and Lou Whittaker, who have made significant contributions to the legacy of mountaineering, Jim being the first American to summit Mount Everest.

Tom attended the University of Washington on the GI Bill where he studied chemical engineering. It was in chemistry lab that he met his longtime friend Gene Haugen.

While doing some work in the King County Assessor's Office, he fell in love with and married a smart redhead named Evelyn Buckley, with whom he would spend the next 67 years. They moved to Albany, Oregon, where he did metallurgical research for the U.S. Bureau of Mines.

In addition to making the purest chromium in the world at the time, he also did original research on yttrium, titanium and beryllium. They raised their family in Albany and later Corvallis, Oregon, and continued to instill in them a love of sports and the outdoors.

When Tom retired in 1976, he and Evelyn moved to Dungeness for what would be the beginning of a very long and active retirement. In addition to golfing, skiing, hiking, gardening and crabbing, they still found time to travel extensively. He skied and climbed into his 80s and golfed into his 90s. Many will remember fondly the one-armed golfer who could hit a 5-iron more than 200 yards.

Tom is survived by a son, Kim Campbell of Atwater, California; daughter Carol Michel and her husband, Charles, both of Bremerton, Washington; and two grandchildren, Miles and Julie Michel, both residing in Anchorage, Alaska.

He was preceded in death by Evelyn, his wife of 67 years; his brother, Donald E. Campbell of Seattle; and daughter Lori Ann.

He was a very intelligent man who will be remembered for his strength, courage, strong moral character, compassion, sense of humor and kind heart. The world is a better place because of him.

At his request, there will be no service. Donations can be made to the DAV (Disabled American Veterans), 915 Second Avenue, Room 1040, Seattle, WA 98174.