George Louis Campanella

George Louis Campanella passed away on Sunday, June 25, 2023, at the Peace Hospice House with his son Gregory by his side.

George was born to John and Mary Campanella on February 27, 1931, in Great Falls, MT. George lived his entire life in Great Falls, except for his time in the Army at Camp Roberts and Fort Ord in California, and when earning his Business Administration degree from the University of Montana in Missoula.

He married Colleen Mason on July 14, 1956. George enjoyed skiing, family vacations at Lake Blaine, traveling, community service, oil and gas work, and most notably, his career as a Certified Public Accountant. He skied until he was 85 years old and continued going into the office until he was ninety. George was a founding partner in the CPA firm JCCS (Junkermier, Clark, Campanella, Stevens). The JCCS family was very important to George and special to him until the very end. George is also remembered for sharing stories about his experiences. One of the trips he often talked about was to Bojano, Italy. He was able to find relatives there, describing how the people he met noticed his profile and were able to match it with residents of the town.

George worked to promote the quality of life in Great Falls through his service to many organizations over the years including Holy Spirit Catholic Parish, Junior Achievement, Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, College of Great Falls (now University of Great Falls), Great Falls Chamber of Commerce, and Meadowlark Country Club. He worked on the Columbus Hospital “Gift of Life” campaign and served as co-chair on the Benefis Hospital Foundation Board. He was a lifetime member of the Uptown Optimist Club, including as a past distinguished president. George and his sons helped with the annual Optimist Christmas Tree sale for many years. While sometimes showing a tough exterior, George was a generous contributor to friends, businesses, the community, and family.

George was preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 61 years, Colleen; infant daughter, Julie Ann; grandson, Christopher; and most recently, his very dear uncle, Frank Jasicko. He is survived by his brother, John; his three sons, Gregory, John (Donna), and Bruce; grandchildren, Nicholas (Liz), Ivy (Evan Patterson), Melissa (Adam Hall), Kirsten (Aaron) Couch, Holly (Adam) Shoaf; and great-grandchildren, Hailey Campanella, Benjamin and Carter Couch, and Amelia Shoaf.

A vigil service will be held on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. at Holy Spirit Catholic Church (201 44th St. South). The funeral liturgy will be on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, at 10:00 a.m., also at Holy Spirit, with burial of ashes to follow at Mount Olivet Cemetery. Donations can be made in George’s name to any community service organization.