Kathleen Azevedo Feinblum
February 3, 1955 September 26, 2020
Kathleen was born in Rio de Janeiro of a Catholic Brazilian mother and a Jewish American father. She was a practicing Atheist married to Lewis Campbell, a church going Agnostic. Kathleen fully supported her husband’s faith and during the pandemic she sat next to him at Sunday Zoom church services.
Kathleen was an accomplished writer who published many poems, essays about nature, short stories, and a novel, Samba Dreamers, the story of two Brazilian immigrants in an unfair Hollywood situation. Samba Dreamers is taught in several colleges. It is well worth the read and is available on Amazon.
Kathleen was also a dedicated English teacher at Skyline College. Her career and personality is well described by the following hand written message she received from a colleague at Skyline. Kathleen, First know how loved and appreciated you are: by your colleagues, your students, and by me. You have always been a touchstone for me. I knew I could always stop by your office and you would be a welcoming ear, a kind shoulder to cry on, a realistic assessor of situations , and an ally, a friend. You were so valuable to all of us, Kathleen the machine, because you got stuff done. You cared about your students, your colleagues, your friends at Skyline and goodness we will miss your hilarious hot takes on the drama that always seems to unfold. I hope to see you soon, Kathleen, but just wanted to send you this quick note to tell you I admire you. You’re an excellent teacher, your work- ethic beyond the pale. You are a dear, kind, compassionate, fierce, funny, awesome person. I love you, friend. Lucia Kathleen has always been 22 years younger than her husband, Lewis. Their plan was for him to die in her arms. She did die at home, her urgent preference. Lewis was there with two of her siblings. That morning, he called San Jose and spoke to Ginger, Kathleen’s close friend and hiking buddy. Ginger said, “I’m on my way.” When Ginger arrived, she sat close to her athletic hiking buddy and spoke to her: “You’re almost at the top of the hill. You’re almost there.” At 3: 19 Ginger spoke to the rest of us: “She’s stopped breathing.” and then again to Kathleen: “You made it. You’re right there at the top.”
Kathleen is survived by her husband, Lewis Campbell, Artistic Director of Multi Ethnic Theater ( MET), where he and Kathleen first “met”. She is also survived by her four younger siblings: Barbara, Edward, Helena, Andy and a few nieces and nephews.
An online Memorial Celebration is planned for Saturday afternoon, November 14, Everyone is invited. To receive an email invitation, visit MET’s website ( www. wehavemet. org) and click on the CONTACTUS link at the top- right of the home page. The message you send will be received by Kathleen’s husband.
In lieu of flowers, a gift may be made to the Kathleen Azevedo Memorial Fund at the San Francisco Foundation. Send a check payable to The San Francisco Foundation. Iindicate the Kathleen Azevedo Memorial Fund in the memo line and mail the check to: The San Francisco Foundation, P. O. Box 399275, San Francisco, CA 94139- 9275. Gifts may also be made by credit card through the San Francisco Foundation’s website by visiting www. sff. org and selecting the Kathleen Azevedo Memorial Fund on the “Give” page.