John R. Campos Jr., 85, of Bedford, died on Dec. 1, 2019, following a lengthy illness.
John was born in Oak Bluffs, and was the son of John R. and Alice B. (Hackett) Campos. He grew up in the family home on Tuckernuck Avenue, played at nearby Waban Park, and swam in the ocean at the foot of his street. He fondly remembered working his teen summers at Darlings Popcorn Store, tending the saltwater taffy machine, and then driving the “up-Island” back roads delivering for Whiting’s Milk.
He was a graduate of Oak Bluffs High School, class of 1952, and then entered the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He volunteered for the draft in 1954, and served in the Army, returning to school and receiving a bachelor of science in electrical engineering in 1959. In later years John earned a master of education from Cambridge College.
In his early career, John worked as an electrical engineer for several local firms, and in 1972 he and his young family relocated to Houston, Texas, where he worked as a contractor to NASA on the Skylab project. Returning to Bedford, he spent the rest of his career in the aerospace industry with the AVCO Corp. of Wilmington, until retiring in 1990. Upon retiring, he pursued a second career in outplacement counseling. John and his family have resided in Bedford since 1968.
An athlete from a young age, he was a lifelong golfer and an avid runner, entering the Falmouth Road Race many times. He also enjoyed photography and skiing, both downhill and cross-country, particularly in the North Conway, N.H., area.
He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Susan (Jackson) Campos; two children, Sarah Ivers and her late husband Paul, and John R. Campos III and his wife Julie, both of Bedford. He also leaves behind four grandchildren, Joseph and Noah Ivers and Jacqueline and John Campos; his two sisters, Jane Carroll of Vineyard Haven and Patricia Manzoni of Easton, and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his sister, Mary Ellen Barbera.
Funeral services were held Dec. 6 in Bedford.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 309 Waverley Oaks Rd., Waltham, MA 02452.
