Scott Campbell, 63, died peacefully December 18, 2022, following a courageous yearlong battle with cancer. Scott was born October 21, 1959, in Oak Park, Illinois. He is preceded in death by Cheryl Schmidt, his loving life partner of 25 years. He is also preceded in death by his grandparents, Archie and Eleanor Campbell and Carl and Hazel Hunter, his father, Robert Campbell and his uncles, Hugh Hunter and Tom Campbell. He is survived by his mother, Meredith Mengler (Ray), his father’s wife, Barb Campbell, his brother, Rick Campbell, his aunts, Bev Hunter and Carlene Klement, his cousins, Nicole Quackenbush and Jeff and Wayne Hunter and Debbie Hines.
Scott worked for many years as a window treatment installer for a retail carpet and window covering store. Later, when that business transitioned into a wholesale custom drapery workroom for the interior design trade, Scott headed their installation team. He remained in that position until he and Cheryl moved to Jacksonville, FL in 2007. Cheryl went to work in her parent’s business while Scott started his own business, SC Installations.
In Jacksonville, Scott was blessed to find a second family: Cheryl’s mom and dad, Ron and Doreen Schmidt, Cheryl’s sisters, Linda Polacek (Bob), Julie Cook and Barbara Jones (Allen) and Cheryl’s nephews and niece, Scott, Kurtis, Kevin, Corey and Kelly Polacek, Corey Jones and Robert Cook.
Though Cheryl was the true love of Scott’s life, his love for most everything sports related was a close second. In grade school, it was participating in Little League baseball; in junior high, it was track and Pony League Baseball; and at Buffalo Grove High School, it was the BG Bison basketball and track teams. In the years that followed, it was first playing 12” and 16” softball, then as he got older, it was playing golf, reading newspaper sport pages, and watching sports on television. The friendships formed from sports during his growing up years remained his best friends throughout the rest of his life. He will be truly missed by them and by all of us blessed to have known him.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Scott’s memory to Pay-It-Forward House, NFP. For more information, please visit: https//payitforwardhouse.org/about-us.
Scott had planned a May 2022 Celebration of Life service for Cheryl, but this needed to be cancelled to deal with his cancer diagnosis and begin chemo and radiation treatments.
A celebration of Life for Scott and Cheryl will be held Saturday, March 18, 2023, at 3:00pm, at Westridge Community Church, 3300 Encounter Lane, Elgin, IL. This date seemed appropriate since they met on St. Patrick's Day in 1997 and celebrated that date as their anniversary.
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I’m so very very sorry to hear of Scott’s passing. He took care of Cheryl for many years and then suffered with cancer. He fought valiantly but lost his battle. He is now in in the loving arms of our Lord and is at peace with no pain. May God bless His family during this terrible time!
Scott was a special guy & in 7th grade, I privately called him my White Knight, after he saved me from a male bully who was always picking at me. About a decade ago, I finally got to thank him.I've never forgotten him & I never will. God bless him & Cheryl! May they rest in Peace. I am sooo sorry for the families' losses. I pray for you comfort & Peace. Best regards. Sheryl
Scott, we went a long way together on the diamond. I remember every pitch, from Sheyboygan to Joliet to St. Louis. I especially remember our special friendship. Every swing. Rest in peace my friend. You'll be missed. See you on the first tee sometime.
So sad to hear of Scott’s passing. Many GREAT memories from our years playing softball and basketball together.
To your family, scot has been in family's life since he moved into buffalo Grove. I hope there is peace. Sadness is remembering all the times he was in and out of my families house. All the years of his parents and Sheryl's interaction with my kids thru the years. . God loves you all. Peace in your hearts. Ma monsen
I arrived to Longfellow Elementary in 5th grad and was quickly asked "Are you fast?", I shortly found myself in a footrace with Scott on the playground and confirmed his continued dominance as the fastest kid in school. I'll remember him as the king of speed when it seemed to matter so much. Rest in peace Scott.
I met Scotty as a freshman at BGHS and instantly marveled at his athletic skills. Coming from a different junior high than I attended, he had the reputation of being the fastest kid in the class. We played basketball together throughout high school, and he lived up to his billing. He was dominant in softball with a unique batting stance, and it always seemed like he was a man playing against boys. Still, what I'll remember most are Scotty's laugh and easy-going nature. He always loved hanging with the guys. Once, he invited me, Dave Millay, and Troy Johnson to his mother's house before we went out for the evening. It was a cold winter night, and Mrs. Campbell welcomed us with hot chocolate and pleasant conversation. We sat side-by-side on their living room couch, sipping cocoa from fine china, complimenting Mrs. Campbell's decorating, and faking any form of etiquette. Then Troy accidentally elbowed Dave, who bumped into me. A three-cup chocolatey pileup ensued, with each stooge spilling cocoa onto the next, the couch, the coffee table, and, horrifyingly, the Campbell's little family dog on the floor. Mrs. Campbell was aghast. That poor little dog got a scalding hot bath. We scrambled, grabbing doilies, curtains, and any inappropriate fabric available to fix the mess. Most friends would have disowned us. Instead, Scotty calmed the storm, cleaned the crime scene, and saved the pup. He must still be laughing. Scotty was fast, alright. But mostly, he used his gift to keep life light and always make you feel like a friend. Faster than instant cocoa. God bless Scotty Campbell! -Volks
Meredith, I am so sorry for your loss of son, Scott. I’ve been praying for your your family. May God comfort you and give you peace that Scott is free of pain.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I’m a year younger than Scott. I played on the BGHS basketball team for 2 years with Scott. Just wanted to say what a great guy he was. Very funny, cool, and nice. Really good athlete too!
I was privileged to meet Scott in high school at BGHS. We played basketball and baseball together. Probably the biggest influence that Scott had on me was when he invited me to play on the 16 to 18 year old slow pitch softball team that his dad coached. We had a great time playing of course and we actually ended up winning the national championship up in Sheboygan Wisconsin. That started my love affair with slow pitch softball as I continued to play into my late 30s. Scott was always a nice guy and a good friend.. Rest in peace Scott. And may God continue to bless and watch over your family during this difficult time.
I went to high school with Scott and knew who he was, although we certainly wouldn't have considered ourselves friends or even acquaintances .. just ran in different circles. Still, I knew who he was, I knew his name, and it was always synonymous with "sports." Fly high, Scott, and may you rest in eternal peace. My prayers and thoughts are with his family, particularly his mother. No mama should have to bury her baby. I'm so sorry. Infinite blessings ...