Harry Alan Campo, proud veteran
Lt. Cmdr. Harry Alan Campo, Retired, 74, of Stuart, Va., went peacefully to his Heavenly home Friday, Jan. 17, 2020, at the Joan and Howard Woltz Hospice Home in Dobson, N.C., after a long struggle with non-alcoholic cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Mr. Campo was born May 20, 1945, in Philadelphia, Pa., to Benjamin and Alice Buciorelli Campo, who preceded him in death. He married his loving wife, Wanda Cauley Campo, in 2004.
As a young child, he moved with his family to Millsboro, where his father began chicken farming with over 60,000 chickens. By helping his father on the farm, he was taught a strong work ethic that continued throughout his life.
In 1963 he graduated from Millsboro High School in Millsboro. After high school, he attended Wesley College in Dover, where he received his associate of arts and science degree. He then received his bachelor of science in teacher certification at Delaware State University. Several years later, he received his masters of education at Salisbury State University.
He proudly served in the U.S. Navy for 26 years, where he was recognized and awarded numerous medals and awards. He attended various medical schools for training to become a combat corpsman. While serving, he received orders to be sent to Vietnam until a last-minute change sent him to Iwakuni, Japan, to serve as a corpsman for soldiers serving on the battlefield from Vietnam. Upon returning home, he received his commission as a line officer which eventually led to becoming a lieutenant commander.
In addition to the Navy, Mr. Campo was an educator who taught physcial science, chemistry and biology for 26 years. During his teaching career, Campo was chosen as a top teacher in space education. He was selected as one of five finalists in the State of Delaware for the Teacher in Space Program that later sent Christa McAuliffe on the space shuttle. He was later named one of 115 recipients nationwide and the first teacher in Delaware to receive a scholarship from the Christa McAuliffe Fellowship Program. With his $27,000 scholarship money, Mr. Campo purchased equipment to set up a teleconference system where he and his students were able to talk to astronauts in space as well as people from all over the world.
He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend who will be dearly missed. His favorite hobbies were spending time at the beach, sailing, surf fishing and riding his motorcycle.
In addition to his wife Wanda, Mr. Campo is survived by four daughters, Judy (Darren) Campo-Sobota of Milford, Christina (Seif) Campo-Abdoun of Olney, Md., Angela (Justin) Daniel of Millsboro and Marian Campo of Milton; two stepchildren, Justin (Laura) Plaster of Bristol, Va., and Valerie (Jason) Hughes of Stuart, Va.; seven grandchildren, Nicholas (Abigail), Benjamin and Sophia Sobota, Savana, Ramses and Alexander Abdoun, and Samantha Campo-McCafferty; five stepgrandchildren, Wesley and Alan Plaster, Asher and Adalynn Hughes, and Noah Daniel; also, a special brother and sister-in-law, Charles and Joy Cauley.
The funeral for Mr. Campo will be held Saturday, Jan. 25, at 2 p.m., at the Patrick Springs Pentecostal Holiness Church in Patrick Springs, Va., with Dr. Marion Poythress and the Rev. Laura Plaster officiating. The burial will follow with full military honors by the United States Navy and the Patrick County Veterans Memorial Honor Guard at Patrick Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be held Friday, Jan. 24, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Patrick Springs Pentecostal Holiness Church.
Flowers will be accepted, or in lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to PSPHC ILLUMINATION TEEN MINISTRY, P.O. BOX 55, Patrick Springs, VA 24133.
Norris Funeral Services in Stuart is serving the Campo family. Online condolences may be made to www.norrisfuneral.com.
