Obituary of Charles Hugh Ramsay Campling
CAMPLING, Professor Charles "Chuck"
Hugh Ramsay
November 30, 1922 - June 24, 2019
Charles Campling, known to most as Chuck, passed away peacefully in Kingston on Monday, June 24, 2019, in his 97th year. Laura, his loving wife of 73 years, survives him. He will be greatly missed by his brother Fred, children Fred (Diane and the late Cynthia), Barbara (John Pym), and Ruth (Chris Pharo), grandchildren Jesse, John, Emily, Stephanie, David and Elisabeth and great grandchildren Hannah and Caleb.
Chuck was born in Melville, Saskatchewan, the son of a railway man and a teacher. He won a scholarship to attend Queen's University, earning his BSc in 1944, after serving in the Canadian army during World War II. In 1944, he received the Tricolour Award, the highest honour a student can receive from Queen's. The three tenets of this award are "service, leadership, and character".
On June 29, 1946, he married Laura, daughter of Professor Norman Miller and his wife Grace.
Chuck was a professor of Electrical Engineering at Queen's and a mentor to generations of students. He was head of Queen's largest Applied Science Department for 10 years. In 1988, he received the Distinguished Service Award from Queen's. The citation describes Professor Campling as "a front-line scholar and award-winning communications researcher, specialist in digital systems and non-linear magnetics, councillor to engineering institutes, and a teacher whose intelligence, caring and dedication have brought distinction to his alma mater and placed an indelible stamp, through his students, on Canada's technological future."
He was instrumental in the formation of the Canadian Society of Electrical Engineering (now the Canadian Society of Electrical and Computer Engineering) and served as its President from 1978 to 1980.
He began running in his forties and at the age of 51, completed the Boston Marathon. A lifelong learner, he earned his BA in French from Queen's in the 1990's. He was a crossword and Sudoku savant, a talented pianist and connoisseur of single malt Scotch. He particularly enjoyed spending time with family and friends at the Campling Cottage north of Kingston. His patented one-liners and unique brand of humour will be missed by all who knew and loved him.
Visitation will be held in the Sanctuary at CHALMERS UNITED CHURCH, 212 Barrie St., Kingston on Tuesday, August 6 from 12:00 pm until 12:50 pm. with a memorial service at 1:00 pm. The burial will follow at Cataraqui Cemetery.
As expressions of sympathy, memorial donations will be gratefully accepted by Chalmers United Church, Queen's University (givetoqueens.ca), or the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.
