Jean Campbell
Jean MacInnes Campbell began athletics at the age of seven years as a highland dancer. Her first competitions brought her to Lachine and Fergus in 1947. In 1948, she competed at the first Glengarry Highland Games and on that memorable Saturday she won three firsts in her dances. Jean went on to win over 100 medals in outdoor competitions, capturing trophies such as the MacEwen Cup, MacDiarmid and Barton Trophy and the McDougall trophy at Maxville. She was awarded with a trophy for the dancer with the greatest number of combined points in competitions held in Embro and Maxville in 1952. She competed at the Central Canada Exhibition in Ottawa winning the Aird trophy twice. Jean was a great ambassador for highland dancing and transitioned to teaching for years in the Maxville area. She was a natural fit to become Chairperson of Highland Dancing at the Glengarry Highland Games from 1970 until 1996. Jean then served as President of the Highland Games in 1996 and ’97. She continues to sit on the Board of Directors. More recently, Jean and her late husband Jim could always be found manning the Information Booth on Games day. Over her 50 years of volunteering at the Glengarry Highland Games, Jean promoted all aspects of the Games and sport. She and lifetime friend, the late Connie Blaney, worked together to compile a history of the Highland Games producing four comprehensive scrapbooks documenting many historical and all aspects of North America’s largest highland gathering. Jean and Jim’s involvement and dedication to the Glengarry Highland Games was fittingly recognized when they were invited as Guests of Honour to officially open the Games in 2022.
One of Jean’s favourite sports is curling. She has shown longevity with her membership at the Maxville & District Curling Club, known today as the Glengarry Curling Club. Jean has been an active member of the Club from 1956 through to the mid 1990s. She loved to travel all over Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec for curling competitions. As a successful skip, her ladies’ team represented the club on many occasions in competitions such as the Challenge, Lady Tweedsmuir, Crystal Pebble, and many others. She won the Glengarry Cup with her team four consecutive years and was particularly proud to have won with her husband and daughter Karen in the mixed category in 1987. Jean is Past President of the Glengarry Club and served on the Board of Directors for many years. She is a great promoter of the sport of curling, having given countless hours of her time, and introduced and welcomed many newcomers to the club.
As demonstrated, Jean is revered for giving back to her community and like the Highland Games and the Glengarry Curling Club, she has served as past president of the Kenyon Agricultural Society and on its Board of Directors for many years.
Retirement years saw Jean along with her husband Jim, enjoying many a game of golf at the Glengarry Golf Club and often participating in friendly tournaments within the district.
Jean not only enjoyed sports and the competitive aspect of each, but more importantly the lasting friendships made throughout these life-long Glengarry experiences.
