Vero Beach, Fla. —
She graduated from SS Peter and Paul’s Grade School, Sacred Heart Academy (now SHG) and St. John’s School of Nursing. She moved to Boston, Mass. to work at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Leahy Clinic. While living in Boston, she would meet her husband of 57 years, E. Ronan Campion. After marriage in 1960, they moved to Hanover, N.H., where Ron joined the family business, James Campion Inc.
Connie will be remembered for her devotion to family, kindness toward others, patience, generosity, exceptional cooking and entertaining abilities and, most of all, for her zest for life, stunning smile, wit and infectious laugh. She enjoyed tennis, golf, and cross-country skiing as well as traveling the world, shopping, reading, the performing arts, and spending time with those in her life.
Connie treasured regular games of bridge, luncheons with friends, and playing Scrabble or challenging the New York Times crossword puzzle with Ron. Cherished family times included annual fly-fishing trips to Stowe, Vt. and camping excursions up and down the Eastern Seaboard in an RV as well as relaxing and building memories at their summer home on Lake Sunapee in N.H. She was an ardent animal-lover and enjoyed raising four standard poodles over the years.
Connie displayed courage throughout her life, successfully fighting several bouts of cancer and her final health challenges with determination and grace. While living in Hanover, Connie worked as a nurse and then a volunteer at the Mary Hitchcock Medical Center as well as for the Ford Sayer Ski Counsel and the Hanover Women’s Club. She supported the success of the family business (James Campion Inc.) in many ways, including everything from payroll duties to gift-wrapping during the holidays. For several years, Connie had a very successful antique business, attending estate sales and searching the area seeking authentic pieces from early New England.
Connie was preceded in death by her parents, sister Mary Ann, brother-in-law James III, father-in-law, James Campion Jr., mother-in-law, Esther Campion, sister-in-law, Christine C. Fleischli, and sister-in-law, Ann M. Fleischli. Connie is survived by her husband; sons, Brian W. Campion, East Thetford, Vt. and Eric R. (Denise T.) Campion, Vero Beach; grandsons, Zachariah R. Campion, Simsbury, Conn. and Noah T. Campion, Vero Beach; siblings, Nancy F. Evans, Springfield, Ill., Dr. Edward C. Fleischli, New Canaan, Conn., Dr. Donald J. (Mary Ellen) Fleischli, La Jolla, Calif., John “Jack” P. (B.J.) Fleischli, Rochester, Ill., George R. Fleischli, Madison, Wisc.; sister-in-law, Dorothy Campion-Corcoran, Pittsboro N.C.; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
A memorial service was held at Oak Harbor in Vero Beach on April 29. A graveside service and burial will be held at the Pine Knoll Cemetery in Hanover on Saturday May 13 at 11 a.m., followed by a celebration of life at the X Club in Norwich, Vt. at 12:30 p.m. All are welcome to attend.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Connie’s memory may be made to the Humane Society of Vero Beach; Indian River County, 6230 77th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32967 or at www.hsvb.org/donate.
To view an online memorial and or send a message of condolence to the family, please visit www.randwilson.com.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Rand-Wilson Funeral Home of Hanover.