Lions mourning loss of supporter
To some, Joseph Campo Jr. was a hero for animals in need.
To others, he was “Purple Deadpool,” an iconic Orlando City supporter who wore a purple-colored mask of the Marvel comics character with a sharp tongue and super-healing powers.
He was a son, a brother and a boyfriend.
But above all, he was a father who adored his 4-year-old son, Tony.
Campo’s last Facebook post at 1:54 p.m. Tuesday featured an old picture of Tony dressed up for Halloween.
Above the photo, Campo wrote, “Not happy that night shift has me missing moments like this … Halloween is my holiday and hopefully soon I’ll be able to enjoy nights again. … Take care of him Corinne Battersby. Lots of pictures…..”
Campo, 31, never got the chance to see those pictures he requested from his longtime girlfriend.
He died in a car crash about 30 minutes later while driving to work, struck head-on by an oncoming vehicle that lost control and crossed a median on John Young Parkway.
In addition to his son, he is survived by his parents, Joseph Campo Sr. and Paula Campo; and two sisters, Marie Campo and Gloria Begin.
A GoFundMe page set up Tuesday evening to raise money for his family received 212 donations the first day, totaling more than $9,000 of the $20,000 goal.
Orlando City co-founder Kay Rawlins, Lions goalkeeper Joe Bendik and defender Scott Sutter are among those who donated.
The club is working with the supporter group Campo belonged to, The Ruckus, to honor him during a benefit match against Puerto Rico Saturday night.
“We are overwhelmed with the amount of people sending their prayers, thoughts and condolences,” his parents said in a statement given to the Sentinel by Battersby. “We will never be able to thank everyone enough. It’s amazing to see how many lives Joey touched and how many people loved him.”
Born in Rhode Island, Campo moved to Orlando as a child and attended Cypress Creek High School.
He held various jobs in hospitality before pursuing his passion for animals, working for Orange County Animal Services the past three years.
Campo worked his way up from a kennel officer, caring for roughly 400 animals in the shelter every day, to an enforcement officer on the streets picking up stray and injured animals, issuing citations and investigating cruelty cases.
He and Battersby had four dogs, including a bulldog he rescued, nursed back to health and named Lord Augustus — also known as Gus.
“He was the co-worker who made you smile from the moment you saw him,” Orange County Animal Services communications manager Diane Summers said.
Those closest to Campo described him as hilarious, passionate, sweet-natured, easy to talk to, zany and charismatic. And not unlike his Deadpool alter-ego, he could be sarcastic, a bit crass and always was up for good banter.
“He can make anybody laugh, regardless of circumstance,” Battersby said. “He’s giving. People would call at 2 o’clock in the morning; he’d go fix their car. There’s just so much good that I can say about him, and it would never be enough.”
He was elected head of member relations for The Ruckus in 2015 and vice president in 2016. He also served as a Capo, leading chants on a platform in front of The Wall at Orlando City Stadium.
“Everyone needs a Campo in their life,” said Jerry Updike, president of The Ruckus. “We’ve been saying this a lot, ‘ Be kind. Be passionate. Be loving. Be Joe.’ ”