ROXIE CAMPANELLA SERVICE TO BE HELD MONDAY.Byline: Kerry Cavanaugh Staff Writer Loved as an inspiration to her late husband, Dodgers Hall of Fame catcher Roy Campanella Her dedication to her husband - who was paralyzed par·a·lyze tr.v. par·a·lyzed, par·a·lyz·ing, par·a·lyz·es 1. To affect with paralysis; cause to be paralytic. 2. To make unable to move or act: paralyzed by fear. in a 1958 car crash - her passion for helping victims of spinal-cord injuries and her constant presence at Dodgers games endeared her to many. She died of cancer Sunday at her Woodland Hills home. A private memorial service for family and friends is scheduled for Monday. ``She was an inspiration to many people because of the kind of woman, the kind of wife, she had been to my dad,'' said Joni Campanella Roan roan a coat color consisting of a relatively uniform mixture of white and colored hairs, giving a 'silvered' hue; self-describing colors are red-roan, blue-roan, chestnut roan. , the couple's daughter and the head of the Daily News' Newspapers in Education Program. ``She had to be a very, very strong woman to do what she did. She had a lot of inner strength. She had a lot of dignity.'' Friends and family say Roxie kept Roy's spirit alive after the crash ended his all-star baseball All-Star Baseball is a baseball video game series developed and published by Acclaim Entertainment. The series began in 1998 with the release of All-Star Baseball '99. career just as the Brooklyn Dodgers moved to Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. . When doctors said her husband would live only a decade after his crash, Roxie predicted he'd outlive out·live tr.v. out·lived, out·liv·ing, out·lives 1. To live longer than: She outlived her son. 2. them all - and he did. Married in 1963, the two were devoted to each other. They traveled the country together so Roy could push for better physical therapy and give pep talks to paralyzed young men and women. Roxie was always there, standing off to the side. When Roy died of a heart attack in 1993, Roxie carried on his upbeat message of healing, crossing the country to speak at hospitals and raising scholarship money for physical therapy students through the Roy and Roxie Campanella Foundation. Just last year, Roxie auctioned off her husband's memorabilia mem·o·ra·bil·i·a pl.n. 1. Objects valued for their connection with historical events, culture, or entertainment: posters, publicity photographs, and other movie memorabilia. 2. , including his three National League Most Valuable Player awards, raising $600,000 for the foundation. With her husband, Roxie was a regular at Dodgers spring training and home games. They were living links to the team's history and veterans of the baseball life. Roan recalled her mom working with young players and their wives on how to maintain a good quality of life. ``She was so gracious to the ushers, the ticket takers, the concessioners,'' said former Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley
Roxie kept going to games until her health prevented her. ``For 10 years, she's kept the spirit alive and that's remarkable,'' O'Malley said. ``But her commitment to Roy and enhancing his life is what really caught everybody's attention. She kept him alive.'' She is survived by her five children: Joni Campanella Roan, John Campanella, Roy Campanella II, Tony Campanella and Ruthe Effort. Memorial donations can be made to the Roy and Roxie Campanella Foundation, 7657 Winnetka Ave., Suite 534, Canoga Park, CA 91306. Kerry Cavanaugh, (818) 713-3746 kerry.cavanaugh(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: In this 1998 photo in her Woodland Hills home, Roxie Campanella stands with some of her late husband's memorabilia. Tina Gerson/Staff Photographer |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion