- Born: Dec. 17, 1945 Newport News, VA
- Died: May 7, 2015 Gloucester, VA
- Buried in Peninsula Memorial Park, Newport News, VA
- Married: Jim Noland on June 24, 1989
|
Courtesy Stancil Reunion Archive |
Courtesy Stancil Reunion Archive |
Phyllis Jean Campbell, the fifth of six children born to Glenn Coy and Carrie Mozelle Stancil Campbell, was born on December 17, 1945, at Riverside Hospital in Newport News, Virginia.
Her lineage traced back to the Josiah Branch of the Stancil family, being the granddaughter of Josiah and Minnie Sasser Stancil.
From a young age, Phyllis possessed an innate sense of style. During her high school years, she worked at a fashionable shoe store, diligently earning money to keep up with the latest trends and always prioritizing her appearance down to the smallest detail.
She graduated from Warwick High School in Newport News, Virginia. Her first professional role was as an executive secretary for Bay Savings Bank, where she dedicated nearly 25 years before transitioning to an executive secretarial position in Washington, D.C.
Phyllis also cultivated hobbies, enjoying knitting with her daughter Janet, and even attempting a hook rug kit, which her sister Jo Ann ultimately had to finish. She was known for her free spirit, extraordinary sense of style, good sense of humor, welcoming smile, and as a loyal friend.
James "Jim" Terry Noland was born on January 25, 1927, in Richmond County, North Carolina, the son of Eula 'Ida' V. and Joseph 'J.J.' James Noland. In 1930, his family, including an older sister Dorothy Vivian and younger brother Joseph Seldon, rented a house in Marks Creek, Richmond County, where his father worked as a salesman. Jim's ancestors had immigrated from Ireland around 1860. He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II, participating in the occupation of Japan and earning the World War II Victory Medal. After the war, Jim continued his education, graduating from The University of North Carolina. He later became the owner of Noland Enterprise, a fire and smoke restoration company operating as a Service Master franchise in Newport News, Virginia. Jim was remembered as a quiet, easygoing man who relished the whimsicality of Disney World and whose thoughtfulness and love endeared him to family and friends.
Phyllis and Jim's paths crossed in 1982 at a meeting, where Phyllis initially mistook an attractive lady sitting with Jim for his wife. Their attraction, however, was mutual, and Jim's slightly older age was of no consequence. They quickly became a steady couple, sharing a common interest in landscaping and gardening. Jim, in particular, favored yellow roses and, in an early conversation, recommended Phyllis plant New Guinea Impatiens, which proved to be a successful suggestion. Their first date was at a restaurant in Gloucester, Virginia. Jim's romantic gestures, including cooking Phyllis a delicious dinner culminating in chocolate pie, "smote" her.
Courtesy Stancil Reunion Archive |
Their whirlwind romance led to an engagement on January 22, 1989, at a Super Bowl XXIII party Phyllis hosted for her many friends (with Jim, of course, invited). The San Francisco 49ers' victory over the Cincinnati Bengals was punctuated by their decision to marry.
Just six weeks after meeting, on June 24, 1989, Phyllis and Jim were married in a garden ceremony held in Phyllis's backyard, attended by over 200 guests. Phyllis's sister, Jo Ann, served as her maid of honor, while Jim's son, James Joseph Noland, was the best man. The wedding had a charming butterfly theme, suggested by Jim and embraced by Phyllis.
The special day was shared with Phyllis's brothers, Don and his wife Christel, Bob and his wife Juanita, as well as nieces Deborah Sue Campbell, and nephews Daniel Hermann Campbell, Garland Willard Brinson Jr., Gerald Craig Brinson, and Jeffrey Glenn Brinson. The couple honeymooned in Nova Scotia.
Courtesy Stancil Reunion Archive |
They attended their first Stancil Reunion shortly after their marriage in 1989 and their last in 2007, reflecting Phyllis's deep connection to her Stancil heritage.
Following their marriage, Phyllis and Jim both sold their individual homes and purchased a large, two-story colonial house with grand white columns and a beautiful marble pool in the backyard. They tirelessly worked together on landscaping, a shared passion that often led them to the annual Maymont Flower & Garden Show in Richmond, Virginia, where they enjoyed exploring vendors from across the country. Eventually, they downsized, purchasing another home two streets over on York River Drive, where Phyllis would reside until her death. Their new home required extensive renovations, including stripping wallpaper, remodeling the kitchen, and refinishing hardwood floors, which again provided an opportunity to delve into new landscaping projects, adding bird feeders, water fountains, and accent lighting.
Phyllis worked for Kingsmill Realty, a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch Company, but suffered an on-the-job back injury. Despite multiple unsuccessful surgeries to alleviate her pain, she retired early. In her retirement, a favorite pastime for Phyllis was watching old movies, with John Wayne, Rock Hudson, James Dean, Clint Eastwood, and Elizabeth Taylor among her favorite actors.
Phyllis and Jim enjoyed traveling together. In her earlier years, Phyllis traveled extensively, mainly to the eastern states. Together, they visited Nova Scotia, beaches between Virginia and Florida, and her niece Rebecca and family in Arkansas and Mississippi. They found tranquility at The Breakers, an oceanfront hotel at Hilton Head, South Carolina. They were also members of the historic Abingdon Episcopal Church in Gloucester County, Virginia, established in 1650, appreciating its beauty, history, and formality. Jim enjoyed chamber music, particularly the harp, and shared Phyllis's love for attending garden shows.
Jim was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, and Phyllis lovingly cared for him at home until his passing on November 29, 2009, at the age of 82. He died peacefully at home in Gloucester, Virginia, after suffering for several years with the disease. A graveside service with military honors was conducted on December 4, 2009, in Peninsula Memorial Park, Newport News, Virginia, with Chaplain David L. Wilson, Col., U.S. Army (ret) officiating.
Jim was survived by his wife Phyllis, his son James Joseph Noland, his brother J.S. Noland, and his extended family through Phyllis, including her brother Don Campbell and wife Christel, and sister Jo Ann Campbell Brinson, along with numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Jim's favorite foods included fried chicken and fresh peach cobbler, as well as Jo Ann's blueberry cobbler. He also enjoyed grilling barbecue chicken, steaks, and shish kabobs, and loved using a smoker for various foods.
After Jim's death, Phyllis invited her sister Jo Ann, who was living in Arkansas, to move in with her in early 2010. In 2010, Phyllis acquired an adorable Yorkie pup named Sam, who became quite spoiled. This was Phyllis's second Yorkie, the first being Bo, who had been Jim and Phyllis's beloved pet. Phyllis found a suitable home for Sam as her health declined. Jo Ann's memories of Phyllis included enjoyable shopping trips to the Williamsburg Outlet Mall, where Phyllis delighted in stores like Ann Taylor and Coach, and social gatherings with friends, including attending dances.
Phyllis was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in 2015. She died peacefully at her home in Gloucester, Virginia, on May 7, 2015, at the age of 69, with her sister Jo Ann by her side. Bishop David Bonds officiated at her graveside service on Tuesday, May 12, 2015, at 2:00 PM in Peninsula Memorial Park, where family and friends gathered to honor her memory. She is buried beside Jim.
Phyllis was survived by her brother, Don Campbell and his wife Christel, and her sister Jo Ann Campbell Brinson, along with a large extended family of nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, great-great nieces, and great-great nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Glenn Coy Campbell and Carrie Mozelle Stancil Campbell, sisters Barbara Nell Campbell Ascar and Brenda Faye Campbell, brother Bobby Euris Campbell and his wife Juanita, and nephew Christopher Coy Savage.