Grace E. Campanella

A force of energy, light, and laughter, our Grace Elizabeth Campanella, 22, of Wells, ME passed away on January 11, 2024. She struggled the past two years to see a life ahead of her. We will now struggle to see a life without her.

Grace was born on September 21, 2001 in Worcester, MA to Kevin and Karen (Patrick) Campanella. She attended Wells schools through 8th grade and graduated from Kennebunk High School in 2020. Grace had earned a tennis scholarship to attend the University of Rhode Island. She was a senior pursuing an Animal Science degree.

Over the years, Grace volunteered at Safe Haven Animal Rescue in Wells, the Animal Welfare Society in Kennebunk and did an internship at the Kennebunk Veterinary Hospital. It was at URI that she developed a love for farm animals. The family now has silkie chickens. Grace brought her love of animals home to us.

Grace's personality really came out on the tennis court. A tenacious lefty, she truly was a force to reckon with on and off the court. When she was younger, Grace had a "never give up, you can't possibly lose" personality. She was a high-ranking junior player and a two-time state champion. Tennis is an individual sport, and while we surrounded her with support and cheered her on, in the end, mental illness was the one opponent she just could not defeat.

Grace also loved books and bookstores. She liked books with strong female lead characters. Had she chosen life, we all know it would have been a great book series. In Maine, she has left behind her large collection of books, her parents, Kevin and Karen Campanella, sister Rosemary Campanella, dogs Penny and Dexter, Delilah the therapy hamster and now six silkie chickens. She also leaves behind her grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

Grace worked considerably hard to hide her mental health struggles. It must have been exhausting. Some may never have seen her struggling. Her family knew it, could see it, tried to find her support and let her know she did not need to fight this battle on her own. We all wish she had reached out and shared more with us so we could have helped her with this battle called mental illness. We certainly wish she would have stopped and sought out any one of the people who loved her and whom she left behind. We miss her terribly.

We invite you to join the Campanella Family as they celebrate their beloved Grace Campanella

Please join us for a Celebration of Life in honor of Grace Campanella on Saturday, March 2, 2024 at 2 pm in the Kennebunk High School Auditorium, located at 89 Fletcher Street in Kennebunk, Maine. There will be a gathering in the school cafeteria following the Celebration of Life ceremony. In the event of inclement weather on Saturday, the event will be held on Sunday, March 3, 2024.

Please dress casually and comfortably. Grace’s favorite color was dark green, yet any color will do. She did bring color into our lives.

The family has obtained information from local hotels in the area. If in need of accommodation suggestions, please reach out to MemoriesofGraceCampanella@gmail.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Animal Welfare Society, PO Box 43, West Kennebunk, ME 04094 or directly through their website.

Condolences may be left on Grace's Bibber’s Memorial Chapel page or mailed to The Campanella Family at PO Box 1233, Wells, ME 04090.

We also would like to request friends and family email stories, photos and videos of Grace to MemoriesofGraceCampanella@gmail.com allowing the family to have additional memories of the Grace we all knew and loved.