Obituary of Nathan Witmer Campbell

Nathan Witmer Campbell was born June 11, 1977 at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California. Nate was a miracle baby - because he was born with an completely interrupted aorta, a condition few babies survive. Doctors realized there was a problem when he was three days old and immediately flew him and his parents to Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. Complicating Nate's problem, he suffered a stroke during his diagnostic testing. When he was five days old, doctors performed bypass surgery - the first time it had been successfully done by his team of doctors. Nathan spent the next four months in the hospital. When Nate was able to come home, he was on oxygen and had a feeding tube. It was two years before he began eating. He surprised everyone when he finally decided to eat.... and eat.... and eat. Bologna sandwiches were his favorite. Medical personnel were astounded that he could chew and hold his spoon correctly immediately. His mother attributes it to astute observation on Nate's part as he joined the family at every meal even though he stubbornly refused to eat. Nate always set his own time schedule for doing things. Nate was a survivor. Two bypass surgeries followed as he grew: one at age 8, and one upon graduation from high school. Doctors had not expected him to develop normally, however, he constantly amazed everyone. They continually had to raise their expectations - as he kept exceeding them. School was difficult for Nate but his stubbornness prevailed and he graduated with a degree in English from Humbolt State University in Arcata, California. Nate also had a library science certificate from Sacramento State University. Nathan decided to move to Portland to be closer to his immediate family when his mother and step-dad moved from Arkansas to the Portland area, leaving behind his family of friends in Arcata. He began working at the Macy's downtown store when it opened. Although sales was not his chosen profession, he absolutely loved the people with whom he worked. Nathan's schedule gave him every other Sunday off which allowed him to spend time with family. He attended St. Paul's United Methodist Church and worked in the sound booth. His family also counted on him to program remotes, make VCRs work, and figure out how to use their phones - all those technological things "old people" can't do. Nathan is survived by his grandmother, Gladys Spitze of Happy Valley; father, Jay Campbell of Sacramento, California; mother and step-father, Lois and Ken Sunderman of Cathlamet, Washington; brother and sister-in-law, Aaron and Christa Campbell, of Boston, Massachusetts; uncle, Dennis Spitze of Gresham; aunt and uncle, Trent and Nadine Luther of Clackamas; uncle and aunt, Ken and Bonnie Spitze of Denver; and cousins, Darrel (Jodie) Spitze, Laura Spitze, Chad (Layla) Luther, Andrea Luther Ellison, Devin Spitze, Jonathan (Tammie) Spitze, Tiana Spitze, and Amber Spitze and his many dear friends. Service Information