Castle Berry Campbell

Castle Berry Campbell, 86, died peacefully at Calvary Hospital, Bronx, New York, Friday, August 7, 2015. Close friend. Beloved uncle. We miss him. Blessed with an easy smile and outgoing personality, Castle never met a stranger, nor forgot those who became friends.

He was born in Big Spring, Texas, the son of James Campbell and the former Lula Mae Castle. A graduate of Big Spring High School, he attended Abilene Christian College (now ACU) in Abilene, Texas, then moved to Dallas where he worked as a film booker for RKO Pictures.

By the late 1950s, Castle was working in New York City as an airline ticketing agent. That began a long and varied travel career which culminated at Loew's Hotels, where he worked in travel agency sales.

During the Loew's years, he traveled almost constantly - domestically and abroad. Budapest, Cairo, Lisbon, Bangkok, Hamburg and Taipei were some of the cities he visited and explored. Castle never tired of traveling and used his vacations to do even more. France was always a favorite and the source of many anecdotes including the time he fell asleep on a sunny afternoon in a cow pasture surrounded by the magnificent Cirque de Gavarnie in the French Pyrenees. Another special travel moment was a motor launch cruise in New Zealand's spectacular Milford Sound. In recognition of his travel experience and industry credentials, Castle was elected a member of SKAL, the international travel fraternity.

Castle liked the theater, movies, mystery novels, Masterpiece Theater series and was a fanatical fan of "Keeping Up Appearances." Then there was ballroom dancing. Just ask SKAL or ASTA members who was the last guy to leave the dance floor at their dinner dances?

After retiring from Loew's, Castle served as a volunteer docent at Carnegie Hall for 20+ years and continued to travel.
Castle was preceded in death by a brother, Woodrow Campbell; a sister, Dorothea Evans; nephews, Warren Evans and Jim Pat Campbell; and a much beloved first cousin, Janice Dunagan.

He is survived by Malcolm Crawford, his longtime friend who patiently cared for him during the final months; a niece, Judy Schoen of Terrell, Texas; two nephews, Roger Evans of Oslo, Norway and Joe Keith Campbell of Tulsa, Oklahoma; plus several cousins and a host of great-nieces and nephews.

Castle adopted New York as his home, but never forgot his Texas roots. He loved his family and friends, never forgot them and kept up with what they were doing until his demise.

Interment services will be held at Mount Olive Memorial Park in Big Spring, Texas at 11 a.m., Saturday, September 26, 2015. A reception and lunch will follow at the Hotel Settles.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, Carnegie Hall, or the New York Public Library.

Arrangements under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory of Big Spring. Please share your remembrances of Castle online at www.npwelch.com