Campbell, as he was known to his friends, was born in Edinburgh, the son of William Robert Addis FRCOG who, after the 1914-18 war, became consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at St Mary’s Hospital, Manchester. His mother was Rhoma Ethel, née Hutchinson, daughter of Thomas Megisson Hutchinson, an engineer.
Campbell’s father was trained as an artist at the Slade School,and later in Paris, before he took up medicine; he won the MC in the first world war. His brother, Campbell’s uncle, was Thomas Addis MD FACP, professor of medicine at Stanford University, USA. Thomas Addis was well known for the ‘Addis Count’ and was author of the textbook Glomerular nephritis: diagnosis and treatment, New York, MacMillan & Co., 1948. Apart from his father and uncle, Campbell had many connexions with medicine. His sister Caroline qualified in Manchester and later did cancer research in London; she was married to Roger Warwick, professor of anatomy at Guy’s Hospital and co-editor of the 35th British edition of Gray’s Anatomy, London, Longman, 1973. One of Campbell’s sons, two daughters-in-law, a nephew and a niece, were all medical.
Campbell began his education at Moor Allerton Preparatory School in Manchester and then, at age 14, went to Shrewsbury School. He was a very good cross country runner, and in his final year at school organized the sports day with great success. At Cambridge he was on the cross country running first team and did some rowing for his College. He also played some rugby. After qualification and two house posts at Manchester Royal Infirmary, he joined the Navy. He was on the cruiser Birmingham when it was torpedoed in the Mediterranean. He was mentioned in despatches. After the war he returned to Manchester, to Ancoats and later Salford Royal hospital.
After obtaining his MRCP, Campbell went to work for Kellgren in the department of rheumatic research at Manchester Royal. In 1953 he was appointed consultant chest physician in Sheffield. He was never very happy in this post and, in 1956, at the suggestion of former colleagues he applied for and was appointed to the post of consultant in geriatric medicine in the Wigan and Leigh Hospitals in central Lancashire. This he found very much to his liking; he had a great concern for the old and disabled and was a tower of strength in the rehabilitation of the chronic sick.
As a colleague Campbell was absolutely dependable and ever considerate in all he did. he worked closely with consultants in all specialties - several of whom were friends from his student days. Serving on numerous hospital committees, he was one of two consultants on the first new area boards which were formed in 1973-74.
He retired in 1977 and greatly enjoyed his retirement. His hobbies were gardening, reading and contract bridge, and he adored the post retirement cottage he bought in Wales. His wife, Sally, was theatre staff nurse on Geoffrey Jefferson’s neurosurgical unit at Manchester Royal Infirmary. Campbell did his first junior post on this unit and met her there. They were married in 1940. He was very much a home-loving man and his five grandchildren were a great joy. He was survived by his wife and three sons, one of whom is a general practitioner in Auckland.
TBS Dick
[Brit.med.J., 1986,292,1403]