Jean Spear Campbell Obituary
Washington – With deep love and profound sadness, we share that Jean Spear Campbell passed away on January 18, 2026, surrounded by loved ones in our home. Jean was defined by her determination, generosity, and infectious joy. She had a silly playfulness that perfectly complemented her earnest sincerity. She gave herself wholeheartedly to her passions, whether her career in science, her athletic pursuits, or her greatest passion, her family. As a daughter, sister, wife, mother, and grandmother, she was the steadfast rock upon which we all relied. If our lives are measured by how much we give of ourselves to others, may we all be as generous as Jean Campbell.
Jean was born in Jacksonville, Illinois, where she spent her formative years before moving to Potsdam, New York, during high school. She was a playful, inclusive child and a source of unconditional love from a young age. She was also a fierce competitor, playing every available sport, earning Female Athlete of the Year in high school, and eventually competing in several varsity college sports. That same determination carried into her academic achievements. Jean earned degrees from the College of Wooster and University of Wisconsin, culminating in a PhD in Physiologic Chemistry. She moved to Seattle in 1990 for a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Washington, launching her dedicated career as a scientist in academia and biotechnology, including cancer and immunotherapy research.
She cherished her role as a mentor to junior scientists and a coach to developing athletes in soccer and basketball. However, Jean’s proudest accomplishment was raising her two children, Mia and Patrick, with her wife, Ellen.
Jean is survived by her wife and partner of 37 years, Ellen McGough, their children, Mia Campbell Kane (Ethan) and Patrick Campbell McGough, baby grandson Jude Kane, her parents Bruce and Frances Campbell, and her siblings R. Brick (Lisa) Campbell, Marcia Campbell, and Gail Campbell (Laura Novak), McGough extended family, many nieces and nephews, as well as many, many lifelong friends.
Donations in honor of Jean can be made to:
1. Green Seattle Partnership at Magnuson Park. Send checks to Magnuson Environmental Stewardship Alliance, 6310 NE 74th St, Suite 206E, Seattle, WA 98115
2. Fred Hutch Cancer Center – Direct Gifts to Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
