Kenneth Michael Campia passed away on July 7th 2016 in the comfort of his home in Belleair, Florida at age 73. He is survived by his wife, Karin Joan Olsen Campia and daughters, Victoria Madison Campia (27) and Sigourney Tegan Campia (25), who will carry on his insatiable love for adventure and unwavering moral compass.
Ken was born on October 29th 1942 to Oscar J. Campia and Sabina T. Campia in Boston, Massachusetts. He was predeceased by his younger brother, Phillip Oscar Campia who passed away in 1976. Ken grew up in the middle of two large and dynamic Irish and Italian families in Boston. He became a fine athlete due to his love of sports and in his teen years enjoyed playing hockey and water-skiing at the family’s lake house in Norton.
Following his early years at Boston College High School, he enrolled in Cornell University’s five-year civil engineering program. At Cornell, he played varsity lacrosse and was president of Kappa Alpha Fraternity. After graduating in 1965, he pursued further education at Dartmouth’s Tuck Business School, receiving his MBA in 1967. Shortly after graduating, Ken volunteered to serve in the Vietnam war, attending Officer’s Candidate School in Newport, RI and undergoing Underwater Demolition Team training in Coronado, California. He then served as Officer in Charge for the Navy’s Swift Boat Squadron, spending 11 months in the Delta region of South Vietnam. Recognized for his remarkable dedication and service, he was honorably discharged from the Navy with the rank of Lieutenant and received several awards including; the Vietnam and Cambodian Campaign medals, the Combat Action Ribbon and the Bronze Star with combat v.
After returning from Vietnam, Ken spent the winter of 1970 skiing and working on the trail crew in Vail, Colorado. He then began his career in real-estate, moving to Chicago in 1972 to work for Urban Investment and Development Company. It was here that he met his best friend and future wife, Karin, who introduced him to the world of racing Solings, the three person Olympic Class boat. For Ken, sailing was both intellectually stimulating and spiritually satisfying; requiring consistent analysis of the wind and water while allowing him to connect with the natural world. From 1977-1984 Ken and Karin competed in many Soling races including 7 North American Championships and the 1983 Soling Worlds and met many life long friends. Their competitive sailing careers culminated in the 1980 US non-Olympic trials and the 1984 US Olympic trials. Sailing was a lifelong pastime for the couple.
In 1977, Ken joined LaSalle Partners where he worked in various capacities including becoming Vice Chairman in the early 1990’s. Ken and Karin were married at Rollin’s Chapel in Hanover New Hampshire and enjoyed 39 years of marriage and companionship. In 1982, the couple moved to Lake Forest, Illinois where they lived until 2014. They also have a home in Snowmass, Colorado where they spent almost 30 winters skiing and summers hiking in the Rocky Mountains. They raised their two girls, Tori and Tegan to have a love of nature and adventure.
After about 20 plus years at LaSalle Partners,, Ken retired from his position as Vice Chairman. The year following his retirement was spent in the south of France and traveling throughout Europe with his wife and two girls. Ken continued to excel in private business, explore the world, and mentor young lives throughout his eighteen years of retirement. He remained an active member of higher education, as a member of the Advisory Board of the College of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the Graduate Real-Estate Program at Cornell and the the Cornell Trustee Council. He was also a member of the advisory board of the graduate real-estate program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In his community of Lake Forest, he served as a board member of Lake Forest Hospital and several other community-based organizations.
Ken served as President of Lake Forest Open Lands Association from 1998 to 2000, where he spearheaded the restoration and conservation of over 200-acres of prairie and wetlands. The project gave the local community a place to exercise, learn, and connect with the natural world.
He was an active and loving father who instilled a love for adventure, dedication to excellence and the need to better the world in his daughters. Both girls began learning how to ski and sail at age two, which became activities they enjoyed as a family. From 1998-2008 the family sailed together on their Frers 73, Renaissance and raced it extensively in many New York Yacht Club regattas. He was also head of the midwest chapter of the Cruising Club of America for several years during the early 2000’s. In 2001, the Campia family completed a 15 day trans-atlantic crossing on their boat with several seasoned sailing friends, cruising from Newport, Rhode Island to the Azores and finally to Kinsale, Ireland. In addition to skiing and sailing Ken enjoyed cycling daily and took up sculling a single at age 63. He was also a sports car enthusiast, owning several throughout his lifetime but having a soft-spot for vintage Porsches.
He was extremely active in both his daughters’ academic, athletic, and personal lives, frequently attending sporting events and concerts. Ken supported his daughters’ hopes and dreams, dedicating his life to their personal and professional growth.
Not stopping at his own family, Ken relished the mentoring of people in all stages of their lives. His wealth of personal and professional life-experience being rich fodder for advice and guidance. Ken has affected innumerable people’s lives with his guidance on a deeply personal level. He was excited by the prospect of spurring personal growth. Ken will be remembered for his relationships with those he mentored, leaving an indelible mark on many lives.
In 2012 Ken fell victim to a stroke, limiting his ability to speak and walk. He refused to let this slow him down. This new challenge was another opportunity for Ken to display his dedication, discipline and love for life. Less than a few months after his stroke, he was walking several miles a day and skiing with Challenge Aspen. This change unveiled an extremely loving, humorous and creative personality few had the opportunity of knowing. Whether he was giving you a hard time for a stain on your shirt or admiring a vintage sports car driving by, he was always himself. He never lost the glorious amalgam of qualities and experiences that made him who he was, Kenneth Michael Campia, son, brother, husband, father and friend extraordinaire.
Visiting hours will be held in the Robert J. Lawler and Crosby Funeral Home, 1803 Centre St. West Roxbury, on Wednesday, July 13, from 4:00 to 8:00pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in the Loyola Chapel, at Boston College High School, 150 William T. Morrissey Blvd., Boston, on Thursday, July 14, at 10:00am. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. He will be laid to rest with his parents and brother in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, West Roxbury, MA.
We will hold an additional service in Lake Forest, IL at 6pm on July 19th at the Chapel on Lake Forest College’s Campus. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Lake Forest Open Lands, 350 Waukegan Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045, 847-234-3880 or www.lfola.org