Frank R. Camperell

A longtime resident of Albuquerque passed away peacefully on February 3, 2014 at the age of 95. He was born in Youngstown, Ohio. He came to Albuquerque following WWII in October 1945 where he and his family were one of the first residents at Kirtland Air Force Base. He served from 1938 to 1945 in the US Navy as a Chief Gunners Mate and was a Pearl Harbor Survivor on the USS Utah. After WWII he worked at Sandia Base for 29 years, first as an employee of the Manhattan Project and retiring in December 1974 as Inventory Management Officer in the Stockpile Management Directorate. After retirement he pursued his hobbies of cooking his favorite Italian and New Mexican receipes, playing golf and relaxing at Elephant Butte Lake. He was an active member of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Club, planning and attending many of their reunions including a return to Pearl Harbor. He was a proud lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans Aassociation. Frank was particularly fond of his Masonic affiliations, where he was a fifty-six year member of Mesa Lodge #68 AF&M in Albuquerque and a 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason in Santa Fe. In addition, he was a fifty-plus year member of the New Mexico Shrine, where he earned a legendary reputation as a Chairman Emeritus & Master Chef of the Ballut Abyad Shrine Azayim Banquet Committee. All of this was capped by Frank’s almost forty years, as a member of Albuquerque Court #24 Royal Order of Jesters. He was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Irene Love Camperell; his parents Michael and Carmel Camperell; brothers Joe Cilano and Jimmy Camperell; sisters Mary Mercer, Grace Fortunate, Pauline Sabella and Elizabeth Sabella. He is survived by his daughters Carmen M. Wyszomierski and hisband Sam of Holtsville, NY, Dr. Kaybeth Camperell of Albuquerque, Cindy Liess and husband Bill of Farmington, NM; grandsons Jonathan E. Wyszomierski and wife Karin of N. Patchogue, NY, Jacob M. Liess and wife Cheri of Abernathy, TX; and great-grandchildren Thomas, Ashley, Brittany, Jonathan, Emily, Benjamin, Noah, Hannah, Henry and Stephen Wyszomierski and Taelor M. and Addision J. Liess. Special thanks to Heartland Hospice for their care of Dad especially Alexis and Matthew his caretakers and to friends Donna Burkhammer, Linda and Bob Kane and Larry German for bringing light into his life in his final years. Services will be Monday, February 10, 2014 at 3:00 p.m. at FRENCH – Lomas. Interment will be Tuesday, February 11, 2014 at 10:30 a.m. at Santa Fe National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers the family request a donation in his memory to the Shriner’s Hospital in care of Ballut Abyad Shrine, 6600 Zuni SE, Albuquerque, NM 87108.

Frank R. Camperell

March 26, 1918 - February 3, 2014