Lehman Elijah Campbell

Lehman E. Campbell, 77, of Abilene, was called Home on Friday, February 17, 2017 at Hendrick Medical Center. Funeral services will be at 12:00 pm on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 at New Light Baptist Church, 518 North 6th Street, Abilene. Rev. Eddie Jordan will officiate. Burial will follow at 2:00 pm at the Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene. Visitation will be from 6:00 to 8:00 pm on Tuesday at New Light Baptist Church. Services are under the direction of The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road. Lehman was born November 19, 1939 in Spur, Texas to Willie E. and Freddie Mae Campbell. He met and married the love of his life, Mary Katherine Colbert on November 11, 1962 in Merkel, Texas. They had three children. He graduated from Haynes High School in 1959. From there he enlisted in the United States Army, serving 21 years, retiring in 1981 as an E–7 Sargent. During his tenure in the military, he was awarded the Bronze Star and the Meritorious Service Award. He served as an Army Intelligence Descrambler. His military career took him from Spur, Texas to all over the United States and the world, including Japan, Korea, Germany, Vietnam and Spain. He later attended Business Commercial College where became a Certified Public Accountant. He was a member of New Light Baptist Church for 25 years serving in the position of Deacon for 10 years. He was a member of the brotherhood and sang in the New Light Male Chorus until his health failed. He enjoyed playing hand ball, bowling and was an avid fisherman. He attributed his love for fishing for being the reason he stopped smoking. One day he caught a pretty good sized fish while trying to smoke his cigarettes, resulting in him dropping his cigarettes in the water which made him angry. So what did he do? He through the whole pack in the water-never to smoke again. He was preceded in death by his parents, Willie and Freddie Mae Campbell; his daughter, Lisa Ann Campbell; one sister, Alice Ida Scarlett; one brother, Leland P. Coleman; and one great-grandson, Marcus. Those left to cherish his memory are his wife of 54 years, Mary Katherine Campbell, of Abilene; two daughters, Patricia Elaine Tinker and husband Anthony of Seattle, WA, and Regina Vanessa Campbell of Abilene; two sisters, Willie Mae Tillman of Tahoka and Bessie Walker and husband Windell of Lubbock. He was the proud grandfather of seven grandchildren, Jennifer L. Whitlock and husband Christopher, Antoinette Tinker, LaDashia Cobb and husband Eddie, Jonathan Sims and wife Grace, Donisha Campbell, Nicolette Campbell Sims, and Nick Campbell Sims; 18 great-grandchildren and a host of nieces and nephews.