Obituary of Penny Elizabeth Campbell

Penny Elizabeth Campbell, bright light and champion of the most vulnerable among us, died in her home in Nashville on September 3, 2014. She was 61. In a career spanning decades, she worked courageously, tirelessly, and unceasingly for the rights and well-being of others, receiving an ACLU Bill of Rights Award among many other honors. A graduate of Vanderbilt's Peabody College and Vanderbilt Divinity School, she was a pioneer in the fight for LGBT rights and a strong advocate for justice and equality. She will be remembered for the many community initiatives to which she generously gave her time, support, and leadership. She liked to think of the community as her church, she inspired countless individuals, and leaves behind a strong legacy of working for justice. She was preceded in death by her father, Will D. Campbell, and is survived by her mother, Brenda Fisher Campbell; sister, Bonnie Ruth Campbell (Steven Marshall Hallman), brother, Lee Webb Campbell II (Donna Bandy Campbell); nephew, Will Harlan Dylan Campbell (Amy Lynn Waples), niece, Kyle Lindsey Campbell; nephew, Will Davis Campbell II; and nephew, Cole Bandy Campbell. For many years, she was the Director of Residential Services at Park Center, which offers recovery, employment, and housing for individuals with mental illness and co-occurring disorders; the Park Center Women's Safe Haven was recently named Campbell House in her honor. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to Park Center, 801 12th Ave. S., Nashville, 37203, or another non-profit service organization. There will be a graveside service on Saturday, September 6, at Mt. Juliet Memorial Gardens. A procession will depart at 2 pm from Sellars Funeral Home at 2250 North Mt. Juliet Road, Mt. Juliet, TN 37122.