Fr. Campion RIP 1925-2009
Fr. Campion, who has been working in the American Region since his transfer from England in 1965,
has died in Blackpool, England while on holiday visiting his elder sisters. Fr. Charles, Regional
Superior of America, flew across to England to preside at Fr. Campion’s Requiem Mass at Blackpool.
Fr. Campion was then interred the following day in the Josephite cemetery at St George’s College.
A Memorial Mass was held October 7 at St. Louis de Montfort Church, Santa Maria, CA. Father Aspinall
had served in the Los Angeles Archdiocese for more than 40 years as an educator and, most recently,
as a senior priest at St. Louis de Montfort.
Born in the north of England, he attended grade school and high school in Blackpool and graduated
with a B.A. in European history from the University of Dublin, Ireland. He entered the Josephite
Community in Weybridge, England, in 1955, studied for the priesthood in College Melle, Belgium, and
was ordained a priest on July 9, 1961.
Father Aspinall spent five years teaching in England and Belgium before being transferred to Santa
Maria in 1966. He was assigned to the faculty at St. Joseph High and later became dean of students.
In 1979, he was reassigned to Pius X High School in Downey and for the next 12 years was dean of
students and vice principal.
In 1991, Father Aspinall returned to Santa Maria, where he served as associate pastor at St. Louis de
Montfort Church. He officially retired this past July, but continued to assist at daily and Sunday
Masses as well as parish and school confession until his death.
While living in California, he became a U.S. citizen (1975) and earned an M.A. in English literature
from Loyola Marymount University, which he considered among his proudest accomplishments. Father
Aspinall was an avid reader and history buff who also enjoyed cooking, the bullfights, a great joke,
the Queen of England (whose picture he carried in his wallet) and a good cigar.
Slideshow prepared by St. Louis de Montfort Church, Santa Maria