Colin Goetze Campbell

Colin Goetze Campbell obituary, Bluffton, SC

Colin Goetze Campbell

Colin Campbell Obituary

Obituary published on Legacy.com by Sauls Funeral Home of Bluffton and Low Country Memorial Gardens on Jun. 26, 2024.

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Colin G. Campbell, who served as president of three internationally renowned educational and philanthropic organizations over a career that spanned more than six decades, died on June 21 at his home in Bluffton, South Carolina. He was 88.
The cause was complications of Parkinson's disease.
In 1970, at age 34, Campbell became the youngest-ever president of Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. He followed his 18-year tenure at Wesleyan with 12 years as president of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, leading its global philanthropic efforts. In 2000 he became the president and CEO of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, the restored colonial capital of Virginia.
Colin Goetze Campbell was born on Nov. 3, 1935, in New York, New York. His father, Joseph Campbell, was the fourth comptroller general of the United States and a former treasurer of Columbia University. His mother, Marjorie Campbell, was one of the most prominent women in Connecticut politics during the 1950s and '60s. Colin Campbell, the youngest of five sons, was also close to his stepmother, Dorothy Bostwick Campbell, an artist and philanthropist.
Campbell grew up in New Canaan, Connecticut, graduated from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, in 1957, and earned his JD at Columbia University in 1961. He was married for 65 years to Nancy Nash Campbell, a preservationist and former board chair of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In addition to Nancy Campbell, Colin Campbell's survivors include four children: Betsy Campbell, Jennifer Celata, Colin M. Campbell, and Blair Campbell, as well as son- and daughter-in-laws Robert Celata and Liz Campbell, and eight grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, and Hospice of the Lowcountry in Bluffton, South Carolina.
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1 Entry

Barbara Bright Zitta

June 28, 2024

My husband and I wish to express to you our deepest condolences in the passing of your husband and father, Colin G. Campbell. There are no words to adequately describe the great legacy of Mr. Campbell. His dedication, passion, and outstanding work will enlighten Americans for generations to come. I wrote to Mr. Campbell many times over the years to share my/our admiration for the outstanding educational programming, continued preservation, and ongoing research at Colonial Williamsburg. Every time, Mr. Campbell acknowledged my letters with a personal reply. I was always very grateful to receive his letters, knowing that his reply was not a form letter. Mr. Campbell's reply letters were always respectfully appreciative of my/our thoughts and comments; Mr. Campbell was the consummate gentleman.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this very difficult time,
Chad and Barbara Bright Zitta
Quakertown, Pennsylvania

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