A Tribute to Trefor Campbell CBE
There are elders who shape a family not by proximity, but by presence. Trefor Campbell CBE was one of those. Not my uncle by blood, but by rhythm—by the way he stood steady in the background of our lives, a cousin of my father, a senior figure after my grandparents had gone. He was the kind of relative whose name carried weight, not because he demanded it, but because he earned it. Managing Director of Moy Park. Belfast Harbour Commissioner. Patron of the Prince’s Trust. But more than titles, he was a man who noticed.
Trefor was also an old pupil of my own school, Ballymena Academy. He wasn’t the sort of alumnus whose name was etched in academic honours boards or remembered for exam results. But he carved out a business career that was both distinguished and quietly transformative. His success was not built on grades—it was built on grit, vision, and the kind of leadership that earns respect across generations.
I didn’t see Trefor in person after my dialysis began in 2018. Travel became complicated, and life narrowed in ways that only those living with chronic illness truly understand. But we stayed in touch—LinkedIn messages, small exchanges, enough to remind me that I was still seen. And in those messages, he told me he was proud. Proud that I was living my life not hidden in the shadows.
That phrase has stayed with me.
Because there are days when the shadows feel easier. When pain, fatigue, or disappointment whisper that retreat is safer than visibility. But Trefor’s pride wasn’t in achievement—it was in the act of showing up. In choosing to live publicly, creatively, and with dignity, even when the body resists.
His death leaves a quiet ache. My grief is not the deepest—his beloved wife Maureen, his children Andrew and Sarah, and the wider family carry a weight I cannot imagine. But grief is not a competition. It is a chorus. And my voice joins theirs, soft but sincere.
Trefor was the most senior member of our extended family in many ways. His presence anchored us. And now, in his absence, I find myself reflecting on what it means to carry forward that legacy—not in titles, but in noticing. In affirming. In telling someone, “I’m proud of you for living your life not hidden in the shadows.”
So today, I honour Trefor by doing just that. By writing this. By naming the grace in his quiet encouragement. By staying visible, even in grief.
May his memory be a blessing. And may we all find ways to live lives that honour the ones who saw us clearly.
The life of Dr R. Trefor Campbell CBE will be celebrated in Lambeg Parish Church, Lisburn, Co Antrim on Friday 24 October 2025 at 3pm.
NeuroDivine 
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