Patricia Campbell:
CLASS OF 1960
St. Symphorosa SchoolClass of 1960
Chicago, IL
Patricia's Story
My family and I moved from Chicago's west side in early winter of 1958 to our new home on Austin Avenue in Chicago's midway airport area. My sister Pamela and I transferred from Our Lady of the Angels grammar school, the site of the horrific school fire that happened in DEC of '58. We moved to St. Sym's parish just the weekend before the tragedy. My time at St. Sym's was short as compared to many, but quite memorable. I recall feeling so welcomed at St. Sym's and the teachers were outstanding. All of us newcomers may have experienced these feelings as the Clearing area had been semi-rural for so long and now was being developed heavily, with new roads and many new homes being created constantly. Outside of family, the only colleagues from those grammar school days on the SW side of Chicago with whom I am still connected is Cathy Casey and Sandy Newtoff (they graduated 3 or 4 years behind me). I married one of the Campbell brothers of Mason Avenue, Jim Campbell. Jim's "little" brother Joe "handyman" Campbell was in our graduating class of 1960. Jim and I divorced after a long and mostly happy (it's true!) marriage, and we remain friends. (Jim graduated from St. Sym's in 1958.) Jim was transferred to New England in 1976 and it was there we finished raising our 3 wonderful children. Jim still resides in Massachusetts. I moved to Maine in the late 1990's. My sister Pam (3 or 4 years behind me) married Allen Siblik, one of the 3 Siblik boys, also of Mason Avenue in Clearing.
After many years of part time college work majoring in business at Northeastern University (my start was at Bogan City College), in 2006 I earned my BA in creative writing and filmmaking at Vermont College. As part of my graduation project, I wrote and produced a short film, "Static". Since moving to New England, my work has also centered around the world of business as an entrepreneur. I started a staffing company in the early 1980's and sold the business in 1995. In the early 1990's, that company, Network Personnel, Inc. was named by the Boston Business Journal as one of the fastest growing staffing companies in Massachusetts. I purchased a talent agency in 2001 that I turned into a charitable hybrid business. In 2014 the agency, Portland Models & Talent L3C made 61 donations to nonprofit organizations and 1 micro grant to a small business owner for start-up capital. In addition to seeing acting and modeling careers blossom and clients delighted, making those donations was one of the best parts of my work at PMT, L3C.
Can't resist ...Expand for more
mentioning that Patrick Dempsey was listed as an actor with my company (before my ownership) when he was a teenager/very young adult.
Sold the talent agency a few months ago and now researching what happens next for me surrounding entrepreneurship, especially charitable hybrids. In 2001 I began what I consider the best job I've ever had - that of volunteer with the Cancer Community Center in South Portland, Maine. For many years I've been a grief group facilitator with this non profit and in addition, I'm a member of the volunteer team of "buddies" who work one on one with caregivers. With three grown children, six grandchildren, and in a committed relationship with Bruce (a true lobstah loving Mainah who boasts 7 generations undah) my personal life is rich and full. Elizabeth, my eldest is an attorney in Portland and she and her husband and children live in my town of Scarborough, Maine. My "boys" and their families live in Massachusetts. Jimmy is a Director of Security at a Boston area hospital and in addition, he is a Sergeant Major in the Army National Guard with two deployments to the middle east under his belt. Jeffrey is a Project Manager at a high tech company. My children each have two children. I spend much time with my grands - most recently I brought four of them to the mountains of New Hampshire for a few days of fun in the snow and we stayed at a resort that had an indoor water park. My grandchildren tell me I'm "cool" which very well might be the best testimonial I've ever had in my life. "Libby', my 89 year old mother lives in a retirement village in Lindenhurst, Illinois and in my long distance care giving assist to give my sister Pam some help with our mom, I visit my mother in Illinois many times during the year. So that's it from here. I do have one question...
has the class of 1960/St. Symphorosa ever had a school reunion? If not, let's do it?
Blessings to all,
Patricia
Added on January 18, 2016
With a broken heart I send this news to all who went to St. Symphorosa (1951 to 1958 or/and St. Rita in Chicago (1958 to 1962) with James L. Campbell (Jimmy Campbell, formerly of Mason Avenue). Jim died in his sleep sometime the morning of January 17. He had just turned 71. A shocking, heartbreak for our three children, his long time significant other, Donna and me, his former wife and forever friend. Farewell to a good, kind, wonderful man. He will be so missed. In addition to his children and Donna, Jim leaves behind his 3 brothers, Reggie, Paul and Joey Campbell and their families.
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