Sunday, September 10, 2006

Remembering the Victims of 9-11: Geoffrey Thomas Campbell

















The 2,996 project is a special blogging event taking place on 2,996 different blogs. On September 11, 2006, these nearly three thousand bloggers, of which I am one, are each posting a tribute to one of the 2,996 people who perished in the terrorist attacks five years ago.

And so today, here at CPW, we are honoring the memory of Mr. Geoffrey Thomas Campbell.

Geoff Campbell was a jet-setter who traveled widely all over the globe, visiting many countries and continents in both hemispheres. Although his family makes their home in Northampton, England, Geoff came to live in the US in 1999, where he worked for Reuters Consulting Group in the World Trade Center.

Not long after his arrival here, Geoffrey met the woman who would later become his fiancée, Ms. Caroline Burbank of New York. Caroline describes Geoffrey as a kind and gentle soul, who was always the first to welcome a newcomer and invite him or her out for a cocktail. Caroline also recalls his sense of humor, specifically about the way they met.

She had overheard Geoff talking to someone in a bar, when she began to make fun of his British accent. Instead of being offended, Geoff laughed along with Caroline, exchanged e-mail addresses and eventually asked her out on a date. Later they got engaged, moved into a Chelsea apartment which they shared with two cats, and enjoyed a trip together to visit Geoff's family in England in August of 2001.

Geoff was killed in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, before he and Caroline could follow through on their vows to marry. He was 31.

Geoff was a fun-loving person, whose many friends and colleagues describe as enjoying a drink and a laugh. Mark Anderson of London discusses how much he always enjoyed Geoffrey's company over drinks when they worked together at an investment bank.

Both Samantha Cammarata and Mary Duffy of New York have fond memories of amusing discussions with Geoff during the time they spent together. Mary specifically remembers relaxing with both Geoff and Samantha in Geoff's back garden, where they shared beers and friendship. One thing that Mary finds especially noteworthy about Geoff is the amiable environment he was able to create in his home. "Even the cats were friendly," she remarked on another online remembrance of Geoff.

Geoff seemed to meet good friends wherever he went. John McCormack recalls spending six months working with Geoffrey in Istanbul, and describes his fondness for partying with him. John notes that he always thinks of Geoff when he hears the song "Wonderwall" by Oasis.

In addition to John from Istanbul, other friends from faraway places have taken the trouble to post online remembrances to their English friend. Both Luigi Rondanini, who met Geoff in Buenos Aires, and Juan Jimenez, who met him in Madrid, have only nice things to say. "He was a great guy," notes Luigi on another website.

In addition to being fun, Geoff is remembered as being an especially nice person. Sarah Ashdown of London recalls how he comforted her in her grief after the death of her father, describing Geoff as "solid." Javonn Jenkins, who also knew Geoffrey, notes that he was a "good and kind man" who never had an unkind word to say about anyone.

It is possible that Geoffrey's good nature and sense of humor might be summed up by a funny note left on another website by his friend, Cathie Campbell of San Francisco, where she declares that she "will never forget the dodgy Jesus and Mary Chain haircut." If Geoffrey were able to read this, I suspect he would respond with a hearty LOL.


Peace be with Geoffrey, his family and loved ones, this day and always.

CP

Click here to view the quilt square that was made for Geoffrey as part of the United in Memory project.


Geoffrey Thomas Campbell
R.I.P.


18 comments:

Cup said...

Beautiful, CP. Thanks for letting me get to know Geoff Campbell. He sounds like the kind of guy I would have enjoyed knowing, and my heart goes out to his fiancée, family, and friends.

Coaster Punchman said...

Thanks Beth. I look forward to reading the tribute to your honoree, later today or tomorrow.

Anonymous said...

What a cool project! And what a lovely memoriam from you, CP!

jin said...

That is a wonderful tribute & you changed your avatar, too. It's so hard to believe that was 5 years ago...it doesn't seem that long.

Do you mind if I ask...were you in NY when it happened?

echo said...

Peace.

lulu said...

I can't believe it has been 5 years. In a way it seems like yesterday, and at the same time like we have been living like this forver.

That was a beautiful and moving tribute to someone who sounds like I would have liked a lot. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Dale said...

CP, thanks for taking the time to honour Geoffrey's memory with your warm tribute.

Coaster Punchman said...

Thanks all for your kind words. Jin, I was in NYC in the morning but had just arrived by plane to DC when it all began. It's not a day I want to relive at this moment, because there was too much anxiety and raw emotion. But I will relate my own version one day. Thanks for asking.

CP

Anonymous said...

wow what a beautifull tribute. I like the idea of the project.

Old Lady said...

Geoffry's family will love this.

Raggedy said...

Wonderful Tribute!
Thank you.
These are sad and hard to read....
I am honored to be a part of this project.
Mine is posted also...

The 2996 link is down. I have a new link on my site to view the participants.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort,
but where he stands at times of challenge
and controversy. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

Bless you...

Meira{FB} said...

We lost so many good people that day. Your tribute was lovely, you did a good job.

mine is up also

Anonymous said...

CP -- thanks for sharing Geoffrey with us. There is no greater way to honor those whose lives were so cruelly ended that day than to shout thier names from our collective rooftops. We will not let their memories die out. Thanks for your comment on my tribute. You have done Geoff justice as well.

Anonymous said...

I am so proud to be your spouse. Geoffrey is somewhere smiling with a cocktail in hand making jokes about his tribute authored by such a sweet 'mo. I love you.

wonderturtle said...

Well done, CP.

luigir said...

Hi CP, this is the Luigi you mention in your tribute to Geoff. As I mentioned in my tribute, I met Geoff in Buenos Aires in 1999. We worked for the same company before in Amsterdam but, funny enough we never crossed each other because he was working on a project in Denmark, I think, and I was in Budapest and Amsterdam... Anyway, we had spoken on the phone a few times and only in Argentina we met. Destiny can be really strange and when I heard about the planes in the towers, Geoff was my first thought and for a reason I can now explain, until recently it was too difficult for me to mention it.

Coaster Punchman said...

Thanks for writing in, Luigi. I'm very sorry for the loss of your friend. He sounded like such a nice guy.

Peace,
CP

malcstillwalking said...

He absolutely hated being called Geoffrey (something to do with a giraffe and " Toys-r-us")
His name is Geoff!

Geoff's dad