'Beautiful, bright, cheerful': Two-time cancer survivor mourned after dying in Pekin wreck

Christie Campbell's zest for life was apparent to everyone who knew her. Battling cancer on two occasions likely enhanced her appreciation for living.

Campbell died Sept. 19 in a two-vehicle collision in rural Pekin. She was 62. After her death, friends and family flocked to her Facebook page to post messages in tribute.

“Our hearts will forever be filled with love for Christie,” her friend Gina Kennedy told the Journal Star. “I intend to celebrate her birthday (Nov. 19) every year with our friends, as she loved going out for it.”

In 2012, Campbell, of Pekin, was diagnosed with lung cancer that had spread to her lymph nodes. Her treatment went well, and her follow-up tests had encouraging results. Then, in November 2014, she suffered a seizure. Further tests revealed a small tumor in her brain and another in her lung. She underwent emergency surgery to remove the brain tumor and received extensive treatment.

“When I met Christie, her ongoing battle with cancer was the first thing we talked about as I lost my mother to cancer a few years before,” Kennedy said.

Among Campbell’s passions were live music and dancing. Natalie Wilson, Campbell's longtime friend, recalled that she would dance with enthusiasm and seemingly without any self-consciousness.

“She could shake her butt,” Wilson said. “If the mood struck her, she’d do a couple of butt bumps.”

Campbell’s favorite local group was the jam band Brainchild. The group played for her when she was being treated for cancer. However, she could be found whenever and wherever there was live music in the Peoria area.

“She was a fixture at all the local shows, and she always had a smile on her face,” said Kindall Rueschel, the chief executive officer of Peoria Music Live.

In addition to live music, Campbell enjoyed playing the piano. She was also passionate about children, her friends, her family, her dog Cosmos, dining out, gardening and dressing up for special occasions. She worked for the State of Illinois Division of Rehabilitation as a rehabilitation case coordinator, and she helped to provide independent living for hundreds of people with disabilities.

“She didn’t know a stranger and would make friends everywhere she went,” Kennedy said. “She was always concerned about everyone else’s well-being. Her spirit was beautiful, bright, and cheerful.”

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Christie Jean Campbell was preceded in death by her parents, Gene and Verna Ratledge. Surviving are her sons, Dennis Campbell of Pekin and Joshua Campbell of Loveland, Colorado; adopted children Grant Freeman of Atlanta, Garrett Freeman of Oregon and Cirsten Freeman of Peoria; grandchildren Grayson Campbell of Loveland, Colorado, and Eli and Landon Hammond, both of East Peoria; siblings Karen Zimmerman of Pekin and Michelle Ratledge of Naperville; and foster mother Linda Townsend.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: 'Beautiful, bright, cheerful': Two-time cancer survivor mourned after dying in Pekin wreck