Earl Perry Campbell

Earl Perry Campbell was born on August 4, 1936 in Frankfort, Kentucky.  He was the son of James & Marie Skinner Campbell.  Earl grew up in Frankfort, KY and graduated from high school there.  He joined the United States Air Force and worked as maintenance support for aircraft including service during the Korean Conflict.  During that time, Earl married Jeanette Pritchett.  Earl’s military service took them different places before they settled back in Forsyth, GA.  His time in the Airforce contributed to him landing a job at McDonnell-Douglas in St. Louis.  He began his employment there working on F-4s and put himself through night school for avionics training and electronics training.  He was transferred in to the space program at McDonnell-Douglas where he worked on the Gemini and Apollo spacecrafts as well as the Skylab.  Earl was able to personally test space suits and worked with astronauts during simulator training.  He and his family even served as hosts to astronauts in their home, sharing meals with them and providing them company as they were away from home on training.  Earl later became a weapon system training Instructor for the Tomahawk Missile Program and was involved in retrofitting the USS Wisconsin and USS Missouri and many others of the US Fleet with the missile system. 

Earl was always technically minded and good creating and building things and understanding electronics and technology.  He would build model planes and ships and he even built a color television out of a kit.

He and Jeanette enjoyed retirement, spending time between homes in St. Louis County, MO and Arcadia, FL.  During the last 13 years, they lived permanently in Arcadia.  They enjoyed their friends there and Earl never left training folks, teaching his fellow retirees how to use their computers .

Earl entered into rest on Wednesday, September 5, 2018 at the age of 82.

Earl was preceded in death by his parents, his son, Timothy Campbell, his daughter, Peri Moody and just 23 days earlier, his precious wife Jeanette.

Earl is survived by his son, Michael Campbell and wife Janice of Blue Eye; his brother David Campbell and wife Sondra of Frankfort, KY; sister, Cindy Smith and husband Darrell of Frankfort, KY.; grandchildren, Jessica, Tara, Shawn, Kyle, Orion, Danielle, Kelsey and Mandy; eight great-grandchildren: Layton, Trenton, Oaklynn, Salem, Graham, Grey, Grayson and Gus.

Cremation arrangements were under the direction of Snapp-Bearden Funeral Home and Crematory, Branson.  Burial will be in Mount Lebanon Cemetery in St. Ann, Missouri.

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