Jo Ward always loved to talk with people — so much so that a young Alex Campbell, then assistant manager at the Shop Easy grocery on Cook Street, told his boss she should be fired from her job as a cashier.
Campbell’s boss ignored the request, saying shoppers were lining up at her till for a chance to chat with the bright and bubbly young lady with a captivating smile and ability to put people at ease.
Alex quickly came around to Jo’s charms, eventually courting the cashier and then marrying her in 1961. The couple went on to run grocery stores in Port Alberni and Ladysmith before launching the most successful grocery-store chain in Island history with Thrifty Foods.
Josephine Bernice Campbell, who simply went by Jo, died on July 4 after a brief illness while in care. She had turned 85 on June 21. She was predeceased by Alex, who died of cancer in October 2011 at age 70.
This week, daughter Bonnie Campbell, one of the couple’s three children, remembered her mother as someone who “absolutely and genuinely loved engaging with people.”
“It’s just who she was,” she said. “Mom was famous for talking to everyone.”
Alex and Jo Campbell, who were married for 49 years, became Victoria’s power couple as they built the Thrifty Foods empire to 20 stores and 3,700 employees over the decades, before selling the chain to Sobeys for a reported $260 million in 2007.
The Campbells remained philanthropists and community boosters, supporting dozens of causes from sports teams to seniors organizations via Thrifty Foods sponsorships, and donating millions to the B.C. Cancer Foundation and Camosun College.
William Litchfield, executive director of the B.C. Cancer Foundation on Vancouver Island, said Alex and Jo Campbell spearheaded a fundraising campaign that raised $10 million to expand the B.C. Cancer Victoria building at Royal Jubilee Hospital, making it one of Canada’s most advanced treatment centres.
The Campbell family has continued to outfit the centre with modern medical equipment and other services.
“The Campbells have been one of our longest and most generous supporters,” Litchfield said. “There really isn’t an area at the Victoria Cancer Centre that hasn’t been affected by their generosity.”
He said whenever there was a need for equipment or a campaign, the Campbell family were always the first to step up and, in most cases, they were chairing the campaign.
“If you wander through B.C. Cancer Victoria, you will see Alex and Jo’s name on almost everything … they’ve been there right from the start,” said Litchfield. “Even the art in the building has been donated by Jo.”
Litchfield said the Campbell family not only made significant contributions to the cancer foundation but encouraged others to do the same.
The Campbells also contributed to a major new facility at Camosun College to train the next generation of health-care workers. In September 2019, Camosun officially opened the $63.8-million Alex & Jo Campbell Centre for Health and Wellness, featuring medical classrooms, applied-learning labs, health-care simulation centres and collaborative study spaces for more than 1,000 health and human service students.
The Campbells contributed the first major private donation as a gift to honour the care that Alex received at the end of his life.
Camosun College president Lane Trotter said Jo Campbell supported the college for more than 25 years, making a lasting impact, adding her “warmth and commitment to community” will be remembered fondly.
Many other charities benefited from her kindness, “whether through heartfelt donations or her famously fierce auction bidding,” said Bonnie Campbell.
The Campbell children say while their father was an astute businessman, he was a shy person. Jo was the opposite, always willing to chat and meet new people wherever she went.
“If you were in an eight-story building in an elevator with my mom, by the time you got off on your floor, she knew your name, what you did for a living and the names of all your kids and grandkids,” Alex Campbell Jr. said. “And you’d probably get an invitation to dinner, too.”
Lorne Campbell remembers packing groceries at his mom’s till at the 49th Parallel Grocery in Ladysmith, where she knew every customer and, at certain times, might not ring in a bag of diapers or fresh produce for young families in need. “She was generous,” said Lorne.
Jo Campbell grew up in wartime housing at Macaulay Camp in Esquimalt with her parents and four younger siblings. Her family later moved to Scott Street. She also worked at the Dairy Queen on Hillside, a small market on Quadra Street and attended Victoria High.
“The house may have been small, but it was always bursting with people, laughter and love,” said Bonnie Campbell. “Everyone was welcome, and there was never a shortage of good times.”
Bonnie Campbell said she believes her father was attracted to both Jo’s outgoing nature and her large, close family. “He came from a much smaller family and was quite [shy], while mom was quite outgoing, so I think it was a perfect match for them.”
Jo and Alex Campbell raised their family in Port Alberni, Surrey and Ladysmith before returning to Victoria in 1977. After selling the 49th Grocery in Ladysmith, they opened the first Thrifty Foods in Fairfield with partners Ernie and Carol Skinner, launching not just a successful business venture, but a lifelong friendship.
Alex Campbell later bought Ernie Skinner out and he went on to open the Market on Yates and Millstream stores.
Jo Campbell was a beloved presence among staff and customers at Thrifty Foods, where “she was always ready with a big smile and a great story,” said Bonnie Campbell. “She cherished her Thrifty Foods family and made it a point to truly connect with people one-on-one.”
Everyone looked forward to Jo’s store visits, she said — “and perhaps even more to her shenanigans at the annual Christmas party,” where hundreds of staffers would gather in large centres for a night of food and drinks.
A private family service will be held with a celebration of life at a later date. In lieu of flowers, people are asked to consider donating to the Alex and Jo Centre for Health and Wellness at Camosun College at https://webservices.camosun.ca/foundation/memorial-gifts/.
