Ben Singleton Campbell

Ben Singleton Campbell, Jr. a beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, died on the 19th of May 2014 at 100 years old.
Ben Campbell was born on the 8th of July 1913 in Fort Bend County, Texas. A Houstonian through and through, for much of his life Ben lived in the heart of downtown Houston on the current site of the George R. Brown Convention Center with his grandfather, former Mayor of Houston Ben Campbell. Ben spent his spare time working at a Henke & Pillot grocery store his uncle owned where he accidently cut off the tip of his finger on the bread slicing machine in 1934, a story he loved to tell friends and strangers alike.
Ben graduated from Rice University in 1936 and took more pride in having fun than he did in maintaining superior grades. He met his beloved future wife Dorothy Elaine ("Dede") Darby on the 2nd of June 1937 when he worked for Union Gas in her hometown of Beeville, Texas. They were married on the 17th of June 1939. He served in the United States Army from 1942 to 1946 where he traveled with General Dwight D. Eisenhower throughout Europe and North Africa. He was honored with the Bronze Star Medal by General Eisenhower in recognition of his valiant service.
After the service, Ben and Dede settled in Houston, Texas where Ben had a long and fulfilling career in accounting at Tenneco, Inc., eventually becoming the Treasurer of the company. Ben and Dede dedicated themselves to raising their children, Ben, Laura, and Dorothy. Ben spent his weekends enjoying his family and serving as a charter member and deacon of River Oaks Baptist Church, including supporting the many missions of the church.
Ben and his family also spent their free time at the family farm in Brookshire, Texas, where Ben took pride in raising cattle, tending his crops, and admiring the Texas landscape. Over the years, he and his family nurtured their love for "The Farm" and many family stories arose from their fun activities there. After retiring from Tenneco in 1967 Ben dedicated his spare time to serving others through the church and the Christian Community Service Center. Ben also traveled with his family to Galveston Island every summer where he developed an uncanny ability to fix anything with duct tape and eliminate pesky raccoons on demand. He passed this love of service and adventure on to his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Ben is survived by Dede, his wife of 74 years, daughter Laura Coffman and her husband Dennis of McAllen, daughter Dorothy Strauss and her husband Charles of Houston, grandchildren Amanda Pettitt (husband Alex and daughters Lainey and Lexi) of Austin, Nicole Crain (husband Mitch and children Parker, Jackson, and Avery) of Austin, Lauren Hufford (husband Trice and children Connor and Ellie) of Houston, Darby Allen (husband Zachary) of Houston, and Charlie Strauss of Houston. He lost his son Ben Singleton Campbell III in 1996.
Ben was known throughout his life for the twinkle in his eye, his wit, his adoration of Dede, and his willingness to lend a helping hand to friends and strangers alike. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, friends and family honor Ben's memory by contributing their time or money as frequently as possible to those in need.
Ben's family also sincerely thanks the staff of the assisted living unit at The Forum, Hospice Compassus, and Hodge's Helping Hands for their compassionate care.
A memorial service honoring Ben will be conducted at two o'clock in the afternoon on Thursday, the 22nd of May, River Oaks Baptist Church, 2300 Willowick Road in Houston. All are invited to come and share their memories of Ben.