Mary Margaret Campbell (nee Hofmann)—our beloved “Maggie”—was born in Iserlohn, Germany on July 30, 1957, to Melvin and Isabel Hofmann. Melvin had been stationed in Iserlohn as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces. Maggie was the youngest of five, sister to Sharon, Barclay, Tim, and Don. She was four months old when her family made the journey back to Canada on a ship called the Queen Frederica. Though they passed through the tail-end of a hurricane, Maggie slept through it all, at peace in the storm.
After her early childhood in Petawawa and Winnipeg, Maggie’s family finally settled in White Rock, where she spent the remainder of her school-age years. She was a keen student, friends with many. After graduation, Maggie lived in 100 Mile House for a year with her sister Sharon, working at the medical clinic. The two shared a rustic log cabin a few miles out of town and enjoyed many adventures, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and ice-fishing in the area.
Maggie became a Christian when John Clarke, the pastor of her lifelong friend, Darlene, introduced her to Jesus. Pastor John and his wife Lyza invited Maggie into their home to care for and disciple her. She became a part of the family.
About three years later, while living in White Rock, she planned a visit to her friend, Dede, in Victoria. Leading up to this visit, Dede had raved about Maggie to her fellow Bible-school student, Scott, and asked if he would like to meet her. A blind date was arranged for the upcoming visit. But even before they were introduced, the moment Scott saw Maggie enter the sanctuary with Dede, he turned to his friend Tom and said, “She’s the one.” Tom responded, “This is exciting!”
Six weeks later, Scott and Maggie were engaged, all while he was living in Victoria and she in White Rock. Despite the costly phone bills, they continued to have a long-distance courtship until they married on May 7, 1983. Once married, they wasted no time in having children. On June 9, 1984, Joseph, their first son, was born. Less than three years later, Benjamin was born on April 5, 1987.
Scott became the Assistant Pastor at Trinity Christian Centre in March of 1988. Scott and Maggie later planted New Life Community Fellowship in September of 1995 and continued pastoring the church up to the present.
As the “Pastor’s Wife,” Maggie beautifully defied the stereotype with grit and grace, feistiness and humour, passion, humility and above all, authenticity. She loved to come alongside women and encourage them, and to cheer them on in their faith, whether one-on-one or in a small group setting. She especially delighted in mentoring younger women. She poured love into so many lives. Maggie had a gift for hospitality and enjoyed hosting guests at her table. She baked the best bread and loved to give the loaves away. Her generosity was felt by so many, often in the form of a note or card or surprise gift to someone who needed it, always done quietly and behind the scenes.
From September 2001 until she retired in October 2021, Maggie worked at Canadian Blood Services in administration and as a phlebotomist, where she excelled in both roles. She so enjoyed welcoming and caring for donors, and her steady presence in the office made her beloved by her colleagues. She was known for her strength of character, her warmth and kindness, her listening ear, and yes, her sense of mischief. She knew how to bring the fun to work.
Maggie found great joy in spending time with her family. She especially cherished time with her husband, feeling such a gratefulness to God for having him by her side through life’s celebrations and challenges. Maggie also loved her sons deeply. She took great pleasure in hearing of their various achievements and adventures, and delighted in spending time together with them, whether during family dinners or movie nights, when simply sitting and talking about their lives.
When Maggie laughed, it was music in the room. She had a zeal for life that was contagious. She loved the years she had with Mandy, the family’s yellow lab. She loved sunsets, the ocean, and storms—the wilder, the better. In the beauty of Creation, she said she saw the majesty of God.
Maggie loved God, she loved His Word, and she especially loved to worship, often having music playing on her computer, at work or at home. One of her favourite songs that meant so much to her was “No One Ever Cared for Me Like Jesus,” by Steffany Gretzinger. She especially loved to worship with her church family. “Imagine what the worship in Heaven will be like,” she used to say. “Just imagine.”
Maggie went to be with her Lord on Thursday, January 13, 2022. She will be deeply missed by her family, her church, her many friends, but especially by her loving husband Scott, and their sons Joe and Ben, all of whom loved her, all of whom can’t imagine this world without her in it.