Marie Ann Sweeney passed away Saturday October 3, 2020, at her home in Pascagoula, MS, at the age of 61. Born April 9, 1959, in Lubbock, TX, Marie was a beloved mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, and friend. She grew up in a military family, the eldest daughter of retired U.S. Air Force Colonel James Patrick Sweeney and his wife Marie. She is survived by her parents and her two siblings, Patricia Bittner of Grand Bay, AL, and James Sweeney, Jr., of Saugus, MA. Marie is also looking down on her two children, Ann Campbell of Mobile, AL, and Pat Campbell of Graham, NC, with their spouses, Michael and Allison, as well as her beloved granddaughter, Anna Hunt (“Ma Bella”), and a new granddaughter to be born later this year.  

Marie graduated from St. Pius X High School in Albuquerque, NM, in 1977 and earned an associate degree in cosmetology from Hollywood Beauty College, Hawaii, in 1978. In 1979, she married Stephen T. Campbell, who would later retire as a colonel in the U.S. Army. Through twenty-two years of marriage, two children, and at least ten homes across the country and the globe, Marie enjoyed and excelled at fostering community as an officer’s wife, property manager, and, for the past sixteen years, a “church lady" at St. John’s Episcopal in Pascagoula, where she felt she had found her calling.

Those who knew Marie loved her joyful zest for life, which manifested in the colorful clothes she wore, the eclectic way she decorated her home, and her enthusiastic conversation style, as well as her willingness to try new things and her deep compassion and thoughtfulness towards others. A lifelong Catholic, Marie was committed to clarifying her understanding of Christ’s teachings and making space for ever more love in her already huge heart.

A Lord of the Rings fan, Marie liked to quote the wizard Gandalf: “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” Though her time in this world was cut short, Marie wisely decided to fill it with love and laughter, and with them, she did so much.  

A memorial service will be held at a time when friends and family can travel and gather together safely. In lieu of flowers, donations in Marie’s memory can be made to the Pascagoula River Audubon Center or The Lymphoma Research Foundation.