Sherell Eugene "Gene" Campbell Obituary (1922 - 2018)

Sherell Eugene "Gene" Campbell, 96, of Bloomington, passed away on Monday, August 27, 2018 at his home. Visitation will be from 3:30-5:30 p.m., Friday, September 7, at Carmody-Flynn Funeral Home, Bloomington with a brief service at 5:30 p.m. Military rites will follow and be accorded by the Bloomington-Normal American Legion Honor Guard. A cemetery chapel service will be held at 12:00 p.m., Saturday, September 8, at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of the donor's choice. Gene was born March 19, 1922 in Marion, Illinois to Eugene and Lorena (nee Fowler) Campbell. He was raised on the family farm near Marion. His college experience at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale was interrupted by serving in the Army Air Corps during WWII. He flew 32 missions on the B-24 Liberator, "The Slick Chick". He was based in Attlebridge, England with the 8th Air Force, 785th Squadron of the 466th bomb group. He returned to SIU to finish his Industrial Arts degree and also earned a Masters in Education from the University of Illinois. He moved to Rolling Meadows, Illinois in 1956 where he resided for over 40 years. In 1999, he moved to Bloomington, Illinois. He worked as a mechanical engineer for several companies including Admiral, Bruning, Motorola, and Chamberlain, and was credited with several patents. He volunteered at the Community Cancer Center and the Prairie Aviation Museum. He was a lifetime member of the Bloomington VFW Post 454. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, bowling, reading and playing cards with his family. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife of 38 years Mary Ann (nee Marchese), his brother Lincoln Hal Campbell and his sister Loretta Winder. He is survived by his daughters Patty Fuller and Cathy (Eric) Raufer, and granddaughters Nicki (Kyle) Milovanovic and Roni (fiance Luc Chamberlain) Raufer. He was a beloved father, grandfather, uncle and friend who will be sorely missed.