Kevin Andrew Campion passed away on September 13, 2021, at 77 years of age, surrounded in the care and the love of his entire immediate family.
Kevin was a husband who loved and relied on the strong support and dedication of his wife, Janice Campion, throughout his life and to the very end. He was a father who was consumed with worry that his children, Andrew, Kenneth, and Christie might someday face similar financial and health related challenges that he had. As a result, he was obsessed with ensuring that his children were well educated, financially secure, risk averse, stayed connected as a family, and avoided all potential risks to their health. His intentions were pure. He was laser focused on his family’s well being, unfortunately at times to a fault as his relentless pursuit of control led to misfortune upon himself financially and challenged many relationships.
He was a grandfather, whose grandchildren called him Poppy. Miles, Lou, Riley, Michael, James, Charles, Jonas and Zachary will all remember Poppy as lighthearted, curious, quirky, caring, and most of all always happiest around them, more so than anyone else. They represent a part of Kevin’s life that was free from the challenges that he, his wife and his three children endured together earlier in life.
He will forever be remembered by all of us as a fighter. Early in life he fought back relentlessly in the face of bad luck and financial hardship, and later in life he was relentless as he battled and survived through countless physical and health setbacks. He won several battles with cancer, fought off Parkinson’s disease as long as he could, endured knee and other surgeries and ultimately suffered a broken hip.
Kevin was a serial entrepreneur whose most valued founding partner was always his wife. They founded real estate brokerages from Campion & Associates to Century 21 franchises. They invested in real estate with development potential. Our fondest memory of Kevin professionally was Seagull’s Frozen Yogurt, which became the most popular spot for kids and adults in Uptown Whittier. Seagull’s was named after our Mom, Janice, whose maiden name was Siegel. The change in the spelling tied to the beach and ocean theme throughout the two restaurants. We all worked at Seagull’s; it was truly the family business.
Kevin also loved sports, especially golf. As a child he grew up caddying on the neighborhood golf course and quickly mastered the game, which he played and enjoyed throughout his life. Sports, along with other memory making experiences such as community theatre, camping, and even sheep and goat showmanship through 4H, were experiences that Kevin would use to transcend hardships and bond as a family. We will forever love and have gratitude for the challenges Kevin endured as he stayed singularly focused on his mission: ensuring his children were happy, successful, and connected. He accomplished his mission in life, and Kevin’s mission is now our mission with respect to our children and grandchildren. As we reflect on his life, we will continue to learn from both the positive ways he achieved that mission and from the mistakes he made in that pursuit.
Kevin Andrew Campion will forever be in our loving memory.
