Alice Stroub Campbell
Alice Campbell, 96, left us while sleeping, at home, with her family close at hand last Tuesday.
Alice Betty Zuch was born on 4/20/1920 in Newark, NJ to Bertha Lindberg and Frank Zuch. She watched her parents lose their business and their home during the depression. She watched them struggle and eventually reinvent themselves—a lesson that shaped her and that she relived with equal strength during her own life.
She grew up with a band of sisters all living in Irvington, NJ who called themselves the 20th Century Club. These Jersey gals became friends in kindergarten and remained pals throughout their lives with Alice and her dear friend, Helene Kranichfeld, being the last surviving members.
While roller-skating at age 14 she saw a stunning young man call on the older sister of one the 20th Century girls. Little did she know that Steve Stroub would be calling on her just seven years later. In Alice’s words, they were smitten. They were married 3 months later at the Little Church Around the Corner in New York City on 6/ 3/1943. Before they met she attended Virginia Intermont College.
Alice worked as a secretary at the Thomas Edison Company when Steve was called to war. When he returned, with the help of the GI bill, he gained his degree in Chemical Engineering from Rutgers University. Shortly afterwards, he developed his own line of masonry waterproofing products, and with Alice’s help, they formed Stroub Products.
Alice and Steve started a family and worked together to instill the values they shared for hard work, honesty and responsibility. They also had fun. Most summer weekends were spent sailing on the Hudson River and later Barnegat Bay.
Alice lost her husband, Steve, in March 1971. She later married Jack Campbell in 1973 who died in 1975. Alice then decided to leave New Jersey and move to Florida to be closer to her dear sister. She loved those years. Doing exactly what she wanted—playing golf and bridge, reading, volunteering, entertaining and coming often to California to visit her family and beloved grandchildren.
In 1998, Alice decided she wanted to be closer to her children and grandchildren and relocated to Sonoma. At 77, in a new town on a new coast she found new book clubs, new bridge partners and, while working in the kitchen at Meals on Wheels, made many new friends. She lit up the room. She never failed to express her opinion. She loved to dance. She loved people. She never stopped being curious. And she fiercely loved her family.
She is survived and deeply missed by her son Steve Stroub and his wife Stephanie; her son Bob, who cared for her so lovingly during the last 4 years of her life; her daughter and son-in-law, Linda and Larry Howell; her grandchildren, Lawren, Stevie and Mack Howell; her grand-son-in-law, Kristopher Moller and her two great grandchildren Louisa and Peter Moller; and her sister Louise Carson.
Memorial Donations may be made in Alice’s name to Meals on Wheels in Sonoma, the Educational Tall Ships Program in Sausalito or to the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy for the Presidio Tunnel Tops project in San Francisco.