Charles Lee Campbell Jr

Charles Lee Campbell, Jr., 86, from Springmoor Retirement Community in Raleigh, NC passed away on Friday, November 18, 2022.

Born on Thanksgiving Day in 1935, Charlie was the son of Charles Lee Campbell, Sr. and Margaret Singletary Campbell of Clarkton, North Carolina.  The family was active in the Clarkton Baptist Church where Charlie received 13 years of perfect attendance pins.  He attended Clarkton Public Schools where he participated in FFA and 4-H Club Public Speaking contests, winning district awards.  He was President of the school student body during his senior year in 1954.  Charlie received his Associate Degree from Campbell Junior College in 1956 and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agricultural Education from NC State University in 1959.

Charlie’s distinguished professional career began as a Marketing Specialist with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture.  In 1960, he joined the National Guard and was stationed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina as an instructor in the Basic Army Administration School for six months.  He returned to the Department of Agriculture in the Market News Section where he assisted in gathering daily market price information and disseminating it to state and national news media.  During the 1960’s and 1970’s, he gave up-to-the-minute farm commodity prices daily from his office in the Department of Agriculture on radio station WPTF at noon.  He also provided this information on the Carolina Farm Network, the Tobacco Radio Network, as well as Associated Press and United Press.  On Saturdays, he gave a weekly summary at noon on WPTF.  For Charlie’s efforts in providing this information, Governor Bob Scott presented him “The Order of the Long Leaf Pine”, one of his two proudest honors.

In the early 1970’s, Commissioner Jim Graham and Markets Director Curtis Tarleton named Charlie the head of Promotion of North Carolina Agricultural Products.

In 1978, Charlie joined Clyde Rudd and Associates, headquartered in Greensboro, as Raleigh office manager for selling Tab color-coded filing systems and Westinghouse cubicle office furniture.  After ten years of outstanding success, Commissioner Graham asked Charlie to return to the Department of Agriculture as Director of Agricultural Development and Coordinator of the County Fair program.  At Charlie’s retirement, the North Carolina County Fair Association presented him with their highest award, “The Holmes-McBride Award”, for his dedicated service.

During Charlie’s retirement, he and his friend John Prince, Jr. were partners in commercial construction.  John wrote a book about their deals and friendship.  The book is titled My Very Best Friend Charlie Campbell.

Charlie was active in the North Raleigh Exchange Club for over 50 years.  He served as Club President during 1970-71 and 1992-93.  He was State President from 2000-2001.  He and his wife, Goldie, sold salted-in-the-shell peanuts in the Education Building at the NC State Fair for 50 years.  This Exchange Club project totaled over one million dollars for charity.

Charlie was a Mason and was initiated into the Raleigh Hiram 40 Lodge in October 1973.  He was also a charter member of the Amran Shrine Temple.

Charlie and his wife Goldie’s passion for travel was satisfied for several years through international trips as participants in the Raleigh Friendship Force program.  They were able to experience life with families in England, Australia, Holland, Switzerland, and Norway, as well as travel to Denmark and Scotland.  After Charlie and Goldie’s visits to those countries, the families in return visited the Campbells who took them to see historic places in North Carolina.  President Carter started this program while he was in office and now it is worldwide.

When they were growing up, Charlie’s family and Goldie’s family were close friends.  Both families attended Clarkton Baptist Church and so did the children.  The families often got together at their homes for socializing.  Charlie and Goldie played monopoly and never dated anyone else since their first date at ages 15 and 16.  Charlie went to Campbell College, then NC State, and Goldie went to Meredith.  They were married on June 27, 1959 after both had graduated.  Charlie has been a member of the NC State Wolfpack Club since his graduation.  He and his family, along with the John Prince family, have gone to most of the Wolfpack basketball games in Raleigh every year.

Today, Charlie and Goldie are active members of Bay Leaf Baptist Church.  Charlie has been a Deacon and taught a young boys Sunday School Class, while Goldie has been active in Girls Acteens.

Charlie and Goldie bought property at Ocean Isle Beach many years ago and built a house there, where they took family and friends for many fun weekends.

Upon retirement, Charlie and several friends established a mobile storage business, Pack-Rat.  This company has storage units that can be taken by truck to your home, office, or warehouse for safekeeping.  They are now located throughout the United States.

Charlie was preceded in death by his parents, Charles L. Campbell, Sr. and Margaret Singletary Campbell of Clarkton, NC.

Charlie is survived by his devoted wife, Goldie, of 63 years and their 3 children: daughter Cynthia L. Campbell (Wendy Briggs) of Efland; son Charles Lee Campbell III (Nancy) of Raleigh; daughter Holli Campbell Rogers (Larry) of Wake Forest; 4 grandchildren, Alyx and Carley Campbell of Raleigh, and twins, August and Campbell Rogers of Wake Forest; sister Gwen Campbell Sykes (Marion) of Havelock; niece Lisa (Doug) Hudson, and their children Parker and Paige Hudson, and nephew Jeff (Erica) Sykes.

Charlie’s celebration of life will be held on November 28, 2022, his birthday, at Bay Leaf Baptist Church at 11:30am.  Visitation will be held from 10:15-11:15am in the Fellowship Hall of the Church.  Interment will immediately follow the service at Bay Leaf Baptist Church cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Springmoor Endowment Fund, 812 Springmoor Drive, Raleigh, NC 27615 or Bay Leaf Baptist Church Building Fund, 12200 Bay Leaf Church Rd, Raleigh, NC 27614.

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