Upper Grand District School Board Orangeville trustee, Gail Campbell and her husband, Clark’s love story began 55 years ago.
The couple celebrated their 50th anniversary last year but after Clark underwent spinal surgery and later went into rehab at Credit Valley Hospital, he contracted COVID-19.
Clark died from COVID-19 complications on Tuesday (Apr. 14).
Gail says she’s processing his passing and feels a mix of emotions, but a feeling of gratitude when remembering her life with Clark, is always with her.
All through her grief, the former ER nurse is deeply grateful to hospital staff who were available by phone 24 hours a day, and gave her hourly updates on Clark’s state; she says nurses even coordinated a final Easter and birthday celebration by phone.
“It’s worse than any horror movie,” is how Gail describes losing a loved one to an illness so contagious, it prevents people from being with loved ones as they pass.
When asked how she’d like Clark to be remembered, Gail answers with a thoughtful sigh, “He’s always been kind, considerate, strong, funny and a gentleman who always respected people until they didn’t deserve it anymore. I have this thing in our bedroom that says ‘Today I choose joy’ and that was the way we lived our lives.”
