Individual Details

Death

Mary Virginia Price Taylor Campbell, 95, died peacefully with family at her side November 5, 2015, in NC after an extended illness. Memorial celebration of life service will be Saturday, November 21, 2015 at 2 PM in the sanctuary of First United Methodist Church of Sylacauga, AL with Rev. Todd Henderson officiating. The family will receive visitors prior to the service in the church Narthex at 1 PM. Mrs. Campbell was born in Dallas, TX and grew up in MS. She graduated from S. D. Lee High School, Columbus, MS, where she was salutatorian and in 1942 graduated magna cum laude from Mississippi State College for Women with a B. S. degree in home economics. She was married there on Dec. 16, 1944 to her high-school sweetheart, Marion Fletcher Taylor, who died in June 1956. As a young widow, she moved to Sylacauga, where with the help of her faith, her recently widowed mother, and a growing core of church and community friends, she crafted a rich and fulfilling life for herself and her 2 young children. After a few years of teaching, she attained her Master's degree in English at Montevallo College. She was a home economics teacher and also taught English at Sylacauga High School, where she was employed for over 20 years and served on numerous committees. At the conclusion of her teaching career, she was married on May 29, 1978 to Rev. Harry Underwood Campbell, who died on Jan. 29, 1995. In 1973 Mrs. Campbell was named o the Teacher Hall of Fame at Jacksonville State University, the oldest statewide teacher recognition program in AL. She held various offices in Zeta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an honorary teaching society, as well as offices in Beta State of the same organization. She held memberships in Alabama Education, National Education, Alabama Home Economics, and Alabama Vocational Associations; Phi Upsilon Honor Society for Home Economists; and Alabama Society for Crippled Children and Adults. She was an active member of the First United Methodist Church of Sylacauga, for all the years she lived there. She held various offices during her years of membership, among them president of United Methodist Women, member of the administrative board, Nurturing Chairman, Chairman of Older Adult Ministries, Circle Chairperson, and Chairman of the Council of Ministries. She was also past district chair of the Wesleyan Service Guild. Cited for outstanding contributions in Sylacauga, she was named "Outstanding Woman of Achievement, 1975-76," by the Sylacauga Business and Professional Women's Club. During the years of her marriage to Rev. Campbell, Mrs. Campbell assisted him both in his active ministry and in his retirement with many activities of service to church and community members, among them teaching, visitation to shut-ins, delivery of Meals on Wheels, preparation of soup and cornbread lunches for ill church members, and other care-giving services. Virginia was preceded in death by her parents, Luther Emmett and Nell Furr Price of Sylacauga, and a sister, Katherine Price Blackburn, of Friona, TX. Mrs. Campbell is survived by two sisters: Margaret Price Mullins (Steve) of Ft. Myers, FL and Carolyn Price Levinson (Joseph) of Austin, TX; 2 children: Margaret Taylor Stewart (George) of Columbus, GA and David Emmett Taylor (Barbara) of New Bern; 2 step-sons: Jonathan W. Campbell (Charlotte) of Madison, AL and Andrew P. Campbell (Beth) of Mountain Brook, AL; 3 grandchildren: Suzanne Taylor Carr (Kenneth) of Lumberton, TX, Virginia Cherry McLendon of Sylacauga, and Amy Cherry Ray (Cory) of Opelika, AL; 6 step-grandchildren: Jason Campbell (Kimberly) of Huntsville, AL, Christopher Campbell (Natalie) of Fultondale, AL, Benjamin Campbell of Denver, CO, Anna Kate Prum (Nate) of Washington D.C., Sarah Beth Seifert (Paul) of Houston, TX, and Todd Campbell of Birmingham, AL; 5 great-grandchildren: Rachel, Brian, Steele, Jackson, and Grace; 11 step-great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to Alzheimer's Association , 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 60601, alz.com or First United Methodist Church of Sylacauga, 105 E. Spring St., Sylacauga, AL 35150, firstmethodistchurch.org. Curtis and Son Funeral Home in Sylacauga will direct the service.