Marjorie Cooler Campbell

Marjorie Cooler Campbell of Port Royal, SC died Saturday, January 3, 2015 at River Oaks Assisted Living. Plans will be announced later for a celebration of life service and interment of ashes at Grace Episcopal Church in Birmingham, AL. A long-time resident of Birmingham, Ms. Campbell returned to the South Carolina Lowcountry in 2010 when her health began to fail. She was born in Coosawhatchie on May 12, 1927, the only daughter of Allene Belger and Ernest Cooler. She spent her early childhood with her parents and four brothers at Mackay Point Plantation before moving to Springbank Plantation near Kingstree. She was graduated from Kingstree High School and attended the University of South Carolina before joining the staff of The News and Courier in Charleston in 1951. During her 10 year tenure there she received numerous journalism awards and became the first assistant city editor of a metropolitan daily in the southeast. She held editorial position in Washington and at Virginia Theological Seminary before moving to Birmingham in 1968. She joined the staff of the University of Alabama School of Dentistry in 1972 as director of public information and later also served as executive secretary of the school's alumni association. She won several journalism and public relations awards during her 17 years with the university and was chosen as its Employee of the Year in 1988. Following her retirement in 1989 she moved to Highland Lake and spent several years immersed in gardening,fishing,writing and spoiling grandchildren. In 2000 she returned to Birmingham. Active for many years in the Episcopal Church, she served three terms as senior warden of Grace Church, the first woman elected to that office, and completed the University of the South's three year Education for Ministry theology course. She volunteered for many years at 55th Place charity thrift shop. Since her return to the Lowcountry, Ms. Campbell has been the recipient of many kindnesses from her family:brothers Harold and Donald Cooler and their wives, Bett and Helen; nieces and nephews Norma,Wesley,Colin and Jonathan Cooler, Susan Foster and Wayne Pierce. Survivors, in addition to these relatives, include a daughter, Elizabeth Croy of Birmingham; a son, Doug Campbell of Portland; grandsons Brandon and Andrew Croy of Birmingham; and great granddaughters Destiny and Mikayla Westerbeck of Enterprise. Marge hopes to be reunited in the next life with her parents, to whom she owes much; her daughter Shirley, a bright spot in the world, who succumbed to cystic fibrosis at age 8; her granddaughter Vanessa, who died in a senseless auto accident; her siblings Wesley and Norman, who were good brothers; and Ferrell, her forever love. Plans will be announced later for a celebration of life service and interment of ashes at Grace Episcopal Church in Birmingham, AL.