Sandra Campbell

Campbell, Sandra Jean "Sandi"

Sandra Jean "Sandi" Campbell, 69, Ashwaubenon, went to light up the heavens and dwell in the house of the Lord Jesus Christ on Sunday, July 7, 2013, after a valiant battle with recent health challenges. The daughter of the late Fern R. (McLain) and Irvin Campbell was born Jan. 8, 1944, in Green Bay, Wis., attended St. Joseph's Catholic Grade School, was a member of the first graduating class of Franklin Jr. High School and was a proud Green Bay West High Wildcat, Class of 1962 which celebrated its 50th class reunion in 2012 with Sandi dancing for five hours on two new knees.

Sandi was an industrious, determined, pioneering woman of great strength, character, grace, humor, spirit, dignity and style; a single parent who worked all of her life tirelessly and unselfishly to raise her daughter and quietly guide the lives of many others whose purpose and potential she helped them realize through her honest, encouraging words and supportive actions. Sandi's various ventures as an entrepreneur, civic leader, community advocate, arts enthusiast have brought much joy to the lives of many.

Sandi's worklife brought a variety of jobs and many firsts. She was one of the first vendettes at the Bay Theatre; was one of the first organizers and leaders of the NE Wisconsin Dental Hygienists group and served as the area's first Preventive Dental Therapist through Dental Arts organization. Feeling a need to challenge herself, Sandi later joined Telephone Communications, where she was one of the first females in a leadership role, programming pagers and adapting to new advancements in mobile technologies.

A very popular exercise instructor for the YWCA, Sandi was one of the first to be trained by Bonnie Prudden at the Bonnie Prudden Institute for Physical Fitness and Myotherapy, Gunnison, Colo. In 1979, Sandi opened Exercise Dynamics, Ltd. a non-profit school of fitness and wellness through which she taught health and dance/exercise fitness classes to all ages. She taught at NWTC, the YWCA, the Norbert Hill Center, Oneida, area public and private schools, The University of WI-Green Bay, The Curative Rehab Center, was a choreographer for the West High Show Choir and taught dance/exercise classes at the Community Center, (now Aspiro), where she received a volunteer award for her work with developmentally-disabled adults and children. Sandi's life-long interest in health and wellness also later landed her a position with the Enzymatic Therapy west coast sales group.

As her daughter was becoming active in classical music, Sandi guided the transition of the Green Bay Symphony Youth Orchestras under the wing of the Green Bay Symphony, a move which later inspired her to create the position of Youth Orchestras Coordinator in which she was the first to serve under the auspices of the GBSO. As coordinator, Sandi found practice spaces, conductors and sectional leaders, raised funds and developed programs that exposed children and young adults to classical music.

A mid-life adventure brought Sandi to Palm Springs, Calif., where she held administrative positions with a local vintage/classic auto company, The American Red Cross and served on the campaign of Sonny Bono during his successful bid for mayor of Palm Springs. While living in Southern California, Sandi also volunteered to coordinate Desert Symphony concerts and events.

A move back to her hometown in the early 90's brought Sandi back to her roots in community arts advocacy. She helped her former colleague and friend, Maestro Miroslav Pansky in his efforts to establish the Pamiro Opera Company and, in her work as an arts publisher, fostered the careers of many artists, among them world-renowned portrait painter, George Pollard. Work in 2-D art prompted Sandi to explore 3-D art and its impact on public places and inspired the monumental achievement that preceded Sandi's retirement or, as she preferred to call it, her re"fire"ment.

Having grown up in the shadow of Lambeau Field, Sandi felt the renovation of the stadium in 2003 would require the area near the stadium to rise to the level of it. Through her former company, Aspire, L.L.C., Sandi founded, created and developed the Oneida Nation Walk of Legends, a public art walkway comprised of 24 statues that collectively-chronicle the evolution of pro football in Green Bay and celebrate and honor the legends who contributed to that legacy between 1895 and the present.

Sandi began the Walk of Legends project by successfully lobbying and petitioning the city of Green Bay to rename after Packers legends a cadre of streets off Lombardi Avenue, near Lambeau Field, then proceeded to work with four government entities, more than two dozen private business and property owners to develop and build the Walk of Legends on Lombardi Ave. and those Packers-themed streets. Through Aspire, LLC, Sandi organized Legends on Parade down Lombardi Ave. past the Walk of Legends and, upon retirement, passed on her idea to the Packers for the "Lombardi Time" clock that would be set 15 minutes ahead at all time, reflecting Lombardi's edict.

In her re"fire"ment, Sandi enjoyed spending time with her family, baking, dancing, genealogy/ancestral research, rides in the country with her daughter, volunteering, and, before her recent health challenge, was inspired to help homeless and hungry children in NE Wisconsin.

Sandi is survived by her daughter, Corrie Campbell, Ashwaubenon, one sister, Karen Tochterman (special friend, Jim Coppens); two brothers, Keith (Margie)Campbell, De Pere, Wis.; Brian (Connie) Campbell, Green Bay, Wis.; many wonderful nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, godchildren and beloved pets. Sandi was preceded in death by her parents, Irvin and Fern (McLain) Campbell.

Sandi's life will be celebrated with visitation between 10 a.m. and noon, Friday, July 12 at Nativity Catholic Parish, Ashwaubenon. Funeral Mass at noon, with Father John Harper officiating.

Sandi's family would like to thank the many people who applied their skills to offer the support that kept the spark in Sandi's life and the sparkle in her eyes, among them, Dr. Dan Metz, Dr. Jeremy Metzler and the team at Prevea Clinic; Dr. Mike Volk, Kristen Rodeheaver, Holly and the relentless team at Green Bay Oncology; Dr. Christopher Rupp and his team of nurses; Dr. John Seccombe, Dr. Ed Coleman and their nursing staffs, Dr. Ian Sproat and the staff at St. Vincent Hospital Radiology; the nurses and physical therapists of St. Vincent/St. Mary's Home Health; the doctors and nurses of St. Vincent Hospital Wound Clinic; the nurses of St. Vincent Hospital Short Stay Medical Unit; the valet drivers at St. Vincent Hospital and the caring people at Heartland Hospice.