23.05.1995 - 19.04.2017

We gather here today in sadness with the family of James. Our thoughts are for you. We ask God to send his Consoler to bring his peace to your hearts and to your homes. We give thanks to God for the life that he gave James and we pray in faith that he now welcomes James to everlasting happiness in heaven.

We look at the world around us and see two extremes. On the one hand we find people devoting every moment of their lives to caring for the sick, injured or handicapped. There are those who have given up all self interest to care for helpless relatives, hospital patients or children with a handicap.

On the other hand we witness the destruction of life in so many forms, war, famine, abortion, earthquake, hurricane, and floods.

Today we are part of what is probably most painful of all for those who are left behind, the sudden death of someone so young. No human thoughts can understand it, not even the words of Jesus can give it meaning. In our prayers we look for the grace of acceptance of what we will never understand among our questions and doubts.

There is as the Scriptures remind us, a time for every season under heaven. As we gather in Laurencetown today we reflect on the mystery of time and that we are in God’s hands: there is indeed a time to die, a time to weep, a time to mourn, a time to keep silence, a time to speak, a time to love.

Since the sudden passing of James, we, his family and friends have shared memories of who he was and what he meant to us. We are heartbroken at his passing, we cherish his life and the memories we have. James was the youngest son of Christine and Martin Campbell. He was the baby of the family at 21 years of age and was due to turn 22 on the 25^th of May. He was brother to Martin, Connor and Sinead.

James completed his Level 2 Light Vehicle Mechanics certificate and loved fixing and tinkering with engines and machines.

He worked as a labourer for Kieran McKeown and was good with his hands.

James enjoyed life fully and had a great outlook to life. He was an extremely generous young man who had a very charming happy character. He would always greet you with a happy smile that lit up his whole face. He was always very helpful to his family and friends and would do anything for the people in his life.

He loved his food and the real proper chicken breasts not the processed stuff! He only liked to eat free range eggs. His mum kept the cardboard free range egg box although unknown to James he didn’t always get them to eat.

He had a very quiet nature although at home his presence was always heard and known through his range of hobbies and interests.

He had a weird taste of music ranging from the thumping beats of rap music to the country pop Dixie Chicks. He frequented a party with his friends where they all got the chance to pick their favourite tunes to listen to. They all passed the phone around picking various rap tunes. It came to James turn and he amused the rest of his friends by picking his favourite Dixie Chicks tune.

Even though he would wear his ear phones everyone could hear the notes of his favourite tunes through his home.

He was into computer games. He took a lot of time taking care of his general fitness and loved to exercise lifting weights at his weight bench, which the children liked to use as a slide. The thumps of the punch bag could be heard throughout the house to the point that he even broke it.

He also had a great interest spectating at motorbikes and bought a scrambler for the fields. James and Connor worked on the scrambler he had bought and totally stripped it down. They have been in the process of rebuilding it. He regularly spent time with Connor and spent time in the shed that was affectionately known as ‘the office’. He was a very keen follower of Guy Martin and was looking forward to meeting him at the Tandragee 100 this past weekend. His last post on facebook was to say he would go there to watch the racing and get an autograph. He may not have been able to attend Tandragee but part of his wish was fulfilled as Guy Martin signed a photograph of James which has been placed in his coffin that he can take with him.

He had an Akita dog that he loved and regularly took for a walk. When he went to pick a dog he went with his brother Martin and Ciara. They were away for hours and his Mum and Dad wondered what had kept them. He had looked at dogs but didn’t see anything that he had liked but on the way home he decided to get his brother Martin to turn back again and go have another look. When he got there a dog came over and did a pee on his shoe and he said ‘That’s the one for me!’. He named the dog Biggie named after the rapper Biggie Smalls.

He got up every morning and hogged the bathroom regularly making Sinead late for work. He walked the dog every morning and took a shower, went to work and came home took a shower, worked out and took a shower! He was never early as he always took time to get himself ready and would change outfits multiple times and show off his outfits before he would go out. He would come down to Sinead and say ‘what do you think of that?’. She would say, aye that’s great as she knew it would be changed another few times before he had decided.

He was a loving son and brother and will be greatly missed by all his family and friends.

Above all we are remembering a loving son, brother, grandchild, nephew, friend Today as we gather in deep sorrow to remember James, a heavy burden of pain, a burden of loss, a burden of grief weighs heavily on us all. We gather as a parish community, a community of faith – a people of searching hope and our presence here this morning is our simple way of reaching out to you James’ family whose burden is heaviest and whose loss is greatest.

This morning we miss you James. We have, we are and we will shed tears for you, but I hope our tears have a healing effect. Today, yes James we want to cling on to you. But we have to let go of you to allow you to be with the Lord forever. We pray that on this day – we pray that our sadness and heartbreak may not make us less human or loving but more Christian. May Mary, the mother of God, who buried her own son, be with you James’ family to see the mind and the plan of God in your lives at this time.

Today on behalf of the parish community we pray for all who have been deeply saddened by James death. Our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to you loving parents Martin and Christine, Sister Sinead, brothers Martin and Connor, granny Lily, nephews Jayden and Connor, and family circle. We pray that in the desert of your sorrow and our sorrow, a deeper love and hope may flower and give us hope. And so we pray for James. Eternal rest ….

25.05.1995 - 19.04.2017