Wanda Jay Campbell

Wanda Jay Campbell died peacefully at home October 15, 2022 in Fort Worth, Texas, surrounded by her family. A fifth generation Texan, Wanda was born September 19, 1928 near Trent, Texas to parents Hazel Richards and E.R. Jay. Wanda and the late John F. Campbell had four children who were all born in Pampa, Texas and grew up in Austin.

Wanda grew up in West Texas and graduated from Wink Junior High and Pampa High School. Always an excellent student, she had a lifelong interest in learning. She attended Colorado Women’s College (now part of the University of Denver) and in 1961 graduated from The University of Texas at Austin. She received a Master of Arts from Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University) in 1976. Her thesis, “A Legacy of Militancy,” studies the Reconstruction Era after the Civil War. She returned to the academic world in 1984 at the age of 56 to do research and field work, spending two seasons on a University of Texas dig in Israel near the Sea of Galilee.

Wanda was always first and foremost a writer. Her writing career began at the age of 11 when she won her first writing award—an essay on why Mickey Rooney would be good as Huckleberry Finn in the movie version of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. She won a booklet of ten cent coupons to the movie theater valued at $2.50. Her journalism career started the summer after high school graduation at age 17 as a reporter for The Pampa Daily News. She eventually became a features writer, Women’s Page Editor, and columnist for the paper.

She wrote four juvenile books published by E.P. Dutton of New York. The first was cited as one of the top 25 books by a Texan by Theta Sigma Phi, the woman’s journalism fraternity. The fourth was selected by the Texas Institute of Letters winner of the 1964 Cokesbury Award for the best juvenile book by a Texas author. In the 1970s she was a columnist and editorial assistant for The Texas Star, a Sunday supplement that appeared in 32 leading Texas newspapers. In 2022, at the age of 93, she completed her fifth and final children’s novel, released this past summer by Archway Publishing.

Wanda also found time to pursue her many other interests. She loved to browse antique stores and collected vintage furniture and dishware to furnish her home. Her interest in politics and government led her to serve as an assistant to young State Representative Ben Barnes and later to State Representative Foster Whaley. After taking courses in Vocational Guidance, she spent two years as an educational consultant with the Austin Independent School District helping develop teaching materials related to occupations. She was an art and book collector, with special interests in Texas history and archeology. She lived for a time on the San Antonio River Walk to experience the “urban life.”

While living in Clifton, Texas, she was the Project Director of the Bosque County Conservatory of Fine Arts and worked as a reporter and the Education Editor for the local paper, The Clifton Record. She also served on the Bosque County Historical Commission and was editor of its newsletter the Bosque Letter. Wanda always had an interest in acting from an early age, appearing as leads in junior and high school plays. Later in life, she reentered the acting world as Amanda Richards, securing major roles in productions at Zachary Scott Theater in Austin and the Tin Building Theater in Clifton. Over her life, she befriended numerous authors and local artists.

Although her interests were wide and varied, family was always the most important thing in her life. She stayed close to her extended Richards and Jay families which included 28 aunts and uncles as well as numerous cousins. Her immediate survivors include her four children Mary Jay Hancock (John) of Fort Worth, Dr. William L. Campbell (Linda) of Austin, John Floyd Campbell (Mary) of Arnold, Maryland, and Julia Anne Jay Campbell of Oakwood, Ohio. Other survivors include ten grandchildren, seventeen great-grandchildren, two great-great grandchildren and a sister Gloria Jay Evans of Sioux Falls, South Dakota and her family.

She spent the last twenty years of her life living with her daughter and son-in-law Mary Jay and John Hancock who provided her with a suite in their home and always welcomed the endless stream of family members and visitors for day, week, and sometimes monthlong visits. Their unwavering care and companionship made her last years happy ones. Wanda was a lifelong Christian.

A private family graveside service will be held at Oaklawn Cemetery in Gorman, Texas where she will be buried next to her parents.

Memorials may be made to your favorite charity.