Pamela T. Campbell

Pamela T. Campbell—lovingly known as Pam, Pammy, Mama, Nanny, Mimi, and NeNe—passed away on July 18, 2025, just eight days after her 76th birthday. Her life was full. Her love ran deep. She did things her way—giving to everyone around her with her whole heart.

Born in New Orleans, Pamela carried the soul of the city in her bones: deeply rooted in family, vibrant, and irresistibly magnetic. She met Gary Maurice Campbell when she was 15 and he pursued her heart with unwavering dedication until they married five days after her 18th birthday. Their partnership, which spanned 58 years, was one of shared devotion, unwavering love, and resilience. They celebrated their last anniversary on July 15—three days before she slipped quietly into the next chapter.

She was a proud mother of two: her son, Rene' Campbell, who preceded her in death 32 years ago, and her daughter, Xanthia Walters. Her final words to Xanthia were: “My beautiful daughter.” She loved her children the way she lived—wholeheartedly, unconditionally, and from the center of her being. She carried both grief and joy like matched pearls—twin truths she never tried to untangle.

Pamela had a fire in her - sharp as summer thunder. She opened her arms wider than her own story, and somehow, always made more room. She mothered so many like wildfire - fierce, nurturing, consuming, and leaving warmth even in her wake.

Her kitchen was her love language, and her gumbo was legendary simmering all day to perfection and served alongside her famous potato salad. She put the same care into her unique albino jambalaya with eggplant, shrimp, and Old Bay seasoning. And she always made enough for someone who hadn’t yet walked through the door. Beyond the kitchen, she was an artist with a needle and thread, quilting and sewing creations that wrapped her family in warmth and memories.

She could be strong-willed, Complicated and Electric. She loved with no dimmer switch. She did not soften herself to make others comfortable, but somehow, her presence softened the room. People were drawn to her—irresistibly, inexplicably, entirely. Being near her felt like being home.

At her son’s wedding, she danced with Rene' to Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.” That same song played softly during her final days—love circling back on itself, whole and unbroken.

Pamela is preceded in death by her beloved son Rene' Campbell, her parents, Rita Wiseman Turbeville and James Turbeville; her brothers James and Don Turbeville, her niece Sharmaine T. Hughes; and many of her beloved Aunts, Uncles and cousins.

She is survived by her loving husband, Gary Campbell; her beautiful daughter, Xanthia Walters, kind kind son-in-law, Jeff Walters; her sweet dog, Baxter; her sisters, Patricia Pike and husband Doug, and Sherry Gail Bailey; honorary daughter, Kathleen Pigg; Justin Turbeville , Krystal C. Turbeville, and their children JT and Kamryn. She also leaves behind nephew John P. Turbeville, his wife Ashley, and their children Natalie and Aaron; niece Nicole Johnson, and her son Carson; nephew Sean Rene’ Turbeville; and great-niece Brittney K. Morgan, her husband Blake, and their children Logan, Liam, and Amelia—each holding a thread of her story in their own hearts.

In honor of the woman who never let a single soul go unfed and who answered the needs with a warm plate and a soft place to land, the family invites donations to Ronald McDonald House Charities which provides meals to families in need — continuing her tradition of feeding people with her heart & soul.

Arrangements by Conner-Bowman Funeral Home & Crematory, 62 VA Market Place Drive, Rocky Mount, VA 24151.