| Notes |
Pearson Funeral Home, 27 June 2025
Jo Ann Bassett Campbell
Jo Ann Bassett Campbell died on May 31, 2025 at Norton Clark Hospital in Jeffersonville, Indiana at the age of 89. She is survived by her adopted daughter Whitney Campbell, her sister Betty Carrol Bassett Bruton and her nephews G. Macaulay Bruton and wife Wendy Satmary, Ian C. Bruton (Chuckie) and wife Silvana Bruton, her niece and nephew, Wendy Campbell and Tom Campbell as well as her extended family Ian Grant Bruton, David Bruton, Ariel Macaulay Bruton, Katherine Bruton, Cienna, Ari and Macie Mae.
A longtime Louisville resident, Jo Ann was born on November 14, 1935 in San Antonio Texas to Elizabeth Earthman Bassett and Charles Carroll Bassett. Charles and Elizabeth later moved to Louisville to live in the Highlands on the edge of Cherokee Park. Though Charles and Elizabeth struggled like most couples, Jo Ann's happiness, joy, and loving nature shined through her infectious smile, as a toddler, a youth, and continued on throughout her life.
Jo Ann married Dr. Peter C. Campbell, Jr. (Pete) in August of 1958. She supported Pete from the time they met, including through his training at the University of Louisville Medical School, followed by his service in the United States Air Force as a flight surgeon in the Strategic Air Command to his very successful career as a prominent Louisville Opthomologist. Pete held board appointments in local organizations and Chief of Staff positions in local hospitals, was Vice-Speaker of the House of the Kentucky Medical Association for six years, Speaker of the House for an additional six years, and was a partner at one of Louisville's prominent Ophthalmology Medical Groups until his retirement. Jo Ann faithfully supported Pete his entire career as she maintained and established friendships and relationships by entertaining and delivering creative homemade gifts to many friends, associates, and family. She truly represented the old adage, "Behind every great man is a great woman." She remained by Pete's side throughout their marriage which lasted over 61 years. When asked by her grand-nephew A. Mac Bruton what she did to sustain her marriage all those years, she responded, "I was Pete's number one Cheerleader!"
Jo Ann was an accomplished cook who would spend up to a week preparing lavish holiday meals to the delight of her family. Her dining room was filled with antiques, lit solely with candles, and her dining room table was always adorned with handmade ornaments, vintage china and ante-bellum silver that she and her husband meticulously collected over the years. During holiday meals she would make each family member's favorite dish, the net result being that there were so many dishes served that a single plate could not hold small samples of each. She grew an extensive garden every year, which often included over 100 tomato plants and fresh vegetables she would often give away or can. Weeks before Christmas, she would start canning hundreds of jars of jams and jellies which would be delivered in baskets with a Christmas arrangement as gifts to 50+ families and friends. Pete took great joy in personally delivering the gift baskets, arriving at someone's doorstep dressed in Christmas colors, a Santa hat and a big grin. Jo Ann, for the most part, single handedly decorated her house for Christmas with a huge tree, a handmade door reef, fresh natural garlands, Santa Claus figures of all shapes and sizes, personalized stockings stuffed with toys, and hand wrapped gifts stuffed high around the 10?15 foot tree (her "Grey Tower" house in Anchorage, KY had 20 foot ceilings) covered in antique ornaments, candy canes and tinsel.
Jo Ann had many hobbies, enjoyed children, held classes in ceramics, taught children the art of puppet making, and collected seashells to make pins and flower arrangements for hats. She made dried flower arrangements and raised African Violets plants all of which she sold in her consignment shop on Frankfort Ave which she co-owned with several friends. She helped support her family financially by tirelessly working as the sole landlord of many rental apartment units, buying, selling, renting, cleaning, also providing maintenance and painting.
Jo Ann was an exceptionally creative, energetic and giving woman, a loving wife, sister, mother, aunt and friend and embraced all her family with a deep passion. As her life journey on earth came to an end and her strength began to wane, the deaths of her husband Pete in 2019, son Peter C. Campbell III in 2023, and brother Robert Moorman Bassett in 2024 were hard blows, but she always kept her faith in God and the promise of his redemption. As she took her last breath, she smiled.
A funeral service to celebrate her life will be held at 12:00 Noon, Saturday, July 12, 2025, at Pearson's, 149 Breckenridge Lane. Burial will follow at Cave Hill Cemetery.
Visitation will be held 4:00pm to 7:00pm, Friday, July 11, 2025 also at Pearson's.
Arrangements under the direction of Pearson's, "Where Louisville Goes to Remember"
|
Bassett Family Association Database
1935 - 2025 (89 years)