SOMBER FAREWELL BID TO YOUNG FRIEND.Byline: Ann-Marie Sanchez Daily News Staff Writer One by one, friends and family of 17-year-old Christopher Campbell approached his champagne-color casket with tears, flowers and prayers for the Simi Valley High School Simi Valley High School is a secondary school located in Simi Valley, California which was established in 1920 as the first high school in the valley. It nestles in the Santa Susana Mountains and is adjacent to the San Fernando Valley, part of the city and county of Ventura. senior who died last week in a motorcycle crash. More than 150 mourners - mostly students - memorialized their friend at the Monday morning funeral service funeral service n → misa de cuerpo presente funeral service n → service m funèbre funeral service funeral n at the Reardon Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. Mortuary chapel. ``Chris was a really good friend of mine for many years, and I'm really going to miss him,'' said Tim Caldwell Tim Caldwell (born 1954) was an American cross country skier who competed from 1972 to 1984. Competing in four Winter Olympics, he earned his best finish of sixth in the 4 x 10 km relay at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck. , 19, during the service. ``When something like this happens, you realize everybody you love and your friendships are taken for granted Adj. 1. taken for granted - evident without proof or argument; "an axiomatic truth"; "we hold these truths to be self-evident" axiomatic, self-evident obvious - easily perceived by the senses or grasped by the mind; "obvious errors" . You just don't say all you can (to them).'' The Simi Valley teen's death stunned the school Thursday, hours before the seniors were about to assemble for their panoramic class photo. Word of his fatal motorcycle accident spread quickly across the campus, where classmates Classmates can refer to either:
``Chris was always very happy, and he could make me laugh no matter how sad I was,'' said Natalie Gillaspi, 18, who attended the service. The Rev. Janet Carroll opened the service by singing a special song requested by Campbell's father, Harry. Carroll sang about, ``guardian angels "Guardian Angels" can refer to:
Three friends spoke in front of the group, recalling their friend who played in a rock band, studied martial arts This is a list of martial arts, broken down by region and style. African martial arts Eritrea
``He had a lot of different kinds of friends,'' said 18-year-old Andrea Ingram. ``He hung out with everybody from punkers and homeboys to normal or straight kids.'' With interests ranging from playing the guitar in his band, Retail Price, to volunteering as a teacher's assistant in cooking classes, Campbell touched many lives inside and outside the school's walls. John Shugrue and Anu Kodikra, who worked with Campbell for the past six months at a Texaco gas station in Woodland Hills, remembered their fellow employee as a ``unique and different'' kind of individual who often wrote poems and crafted drawings on the job. ``He's a very different kind of kid,'' said Kodikra, who was training Campbell to be a cashier. ``He's got some very nice things in his mind.'' His boss, Shugrue, recalled Campbell often teasing him with detailed descriptions about the latest recipe he helped create in cooking class. ``He would tell me, `Mr. John, I cooked biscuits today and they were so-o-o good,' '' Shugrue said. ``He was simply full of life.'' CAPTION(S): 3 Photos Photo: (1--Simi edition only--Color) Right, friends of Christopher Campbell comfort one another after the service. (2--Simi and Conejo edition--Color) Above, a memorial on 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. Avenue where he crashed includes a letter from his parents. (3--Simi edition only--Color) Pallbearers carry out the teen-ager's coffin at Reardon Simi Valley Mortuary. He was killed Nov. 13 riding his motorcycle. Andy Holzman/Special to the Daily News |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion