On November 6, 2021, the world lost a strong force as Eileen passed on surrounded by her family.

Eileen was born on December 24, 1953, in Logan, Utah to Leslie and Ruth Campbell.  Eileen was one of 9 with 4 brothers and 4 sisters.  Eileen held many positions; school bus driver, firefighter, teacher, librarian, real estate investor, mother and wife. Eileen started her career at the Law Library of Congress, going on to work at the LDS Genealogy Library and the University of Utah Law Library, she was an English teacher, and would later retire as a head librarian at a junior high school. Eileen and Byron built a life and a home together, raising kids, raising livestock, and later raising puppies.

If you asked Eileen what her best accomplishments were, without hesitation she would say her babies; Jason (Yiming), Eric (Twighla), Phillip (Hillary), and Jorgena (Josh).  If you asked her what she loved most she would answer with the biggest grin and glow, her grand girls; Aurora, Ella, Maggie, Sonja, Leia, Emily Rose, baby Samantha, Auda Mae and Athea.

Eileen was independent, strong, stubborn, and so smart. She graduated from Provo High in 1972, going on to get her Bachelor’s degree from BYU in English, then her Master’s in Library Science and a teaching certificate. As if that wasn’t enough, she was determined to earn yet another bachelor’s in Hospitality Management from Utah Valley University. She said she obtained that degree to “exercise her brain.”

Education was ever present and important in her life. She instilled and ensured that all of her children would go to college and good grades were not rewarded, they were simply expected. Her determination was rewarded as she attended all her children’s college graduation ceremonies, going as far as New York and New Jersey to support her children.

Eileen enjoyed many things; nature, real estate, painting, quilting, decorating, shopping, learning, books, plays, poems, and traveling with Byron. They loved to travel together.  They spent their time in Colorado enjoying the house they built together, going on four-wheeler rides, and while Byron fished, Eileen would read.

Eileen loved to craft, and she had a flair for flamboyance.  If Eileen was around there wasn’t a surface safe from being bedazzled or painted, including many of Smokey the dog’s leashes, collars, and clothes. Eileen was gifted with the wonderful ability to paint and create scenes that would transport you. She was blessed with patience as she quilted. A blanket for every holiday and season, afghan after afghan.

We are convinced there was nothing Eileen couldn’t do or hadn’t done. Once she set her mind to something, there was quite literally no stopping her. From skiing to running, sculpting to stained glass. From building a house from the ground up to reupholstering the furniture. Reading to editing, driving a school bus to being a teacher, from obtaining degrees to being a mother.

Through every trial and every adversity, she had in her life she preserved through everything. After a series of unfortunate events, her husband asked, “why God was punishing her?”  She said, “I didn’t know he was.” Her smile would brighten the darkest day.  Her force was never quieted.  We know she is preparing her grandchildren that are not even a “twinkle in their parents’ eyes” to be as strong and independent as their grandmother as she rocks them in heaven.

Eileen loved her children. Her last moments were spent listening to their banter, and we know she enjoyed every word.