Joe M. Campero, 98, a longtime resident of Pullman, for 77 years, passed away Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020, at the Memory Villas at Bishop Place in Pullman.
The funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. April 16 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Pullman. He will be laid to rest with his wife, Helen, at the Pullman Cemetery.
Joe was born Jan. 1, 1922, in Needles, Calif., to R.H. and Ramona Rael Campero. Joe’s maternal great-grandfather, five times removed, Alonso Rael de Aguilar, was native of the city Lorca in Murcia, Spain. In 1692, he came to San Francisco, and he died April 10, 1735. Joe spoke Spanish fluently and was very proud of his Spanish heritage. After his parents separated, his mother returned to her birthplace of Las Vegas, N.M., in 1928, to raise her three children and take care of her aging father, Lorenzo Rael, a retired sheep herder.
A member of the Greatest Generation, Joe endured the hardship of the Great Depression. He graduated from Normal High School in 1940. Having no means to continue his education, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in September 1940.
In February 1943, he was transferred by the Army Air Corps to Washington State University in Pullman, his 10th station, and was assigned to the 319th College Training Attachment. It was here that the met the love of his life, V. Helen Christian, who was a recent RN graduate, working at Finch Memorial Hospital. They were married Oct. 23, 1943. After service in the Philippine Islands, he was discharged Nov. 26, 1945. Joe stayed in Pullman and went to work for Standard Lumber Co. in 1947. He remained at the lumber yard for 45 years. As general manager, he also oversaw the Colfax and Moscow operations. Joe loved to laugh, and had an uncanny ability for nicknaming his friends and associates.
He is survived by his daughter, Carmen, and son-in-law, David Kern, Walnut Creek, Calif.; grandson Eric, wife Tammy; great-granddaughters Carly and Avery, San Ramon, Calif.; and numerous nieces and nephews in Washington, California, New Mexico, Texas, Florida and Michigan.
Carmen and Dave would like to thank Rich and Lita Lewis for all their help with Joe and Helen through the years. We don’t know what they would have done without them. Also, we’d would like to thank Bishop Place, Rebecca, Tom, Joyce, Kathy and the rest of the staff, and Friends of Hospice, Jolene, Samantha, Tina, Mary and everyone who helped Joe. They all made his life much happier. A very special thank you to Ann and Dave at State Farm, and a big thank you to Heather and her staff at My Office. Also thank you to Bob, at Kimball Funeral Home, who helped us with so many things. Last but not least, thanks to all our old friends and new friends that we made during our many trips to Pullman.
Kimball Funeral Home of Pullman has been entrusted with arrangements. Online condolences may be sent to www.kimballfh.com.
