Patricia S. Campbell
May 15, 1941-July 16, 2026
Palo Alto, California

We are deeply saddened to announce that our mother, Patricia S. Campbell, passed away on July 16, 2026. Born on May 15, 1941, she lived a remarkable life filled with many accomplishments both professional and personal. She graduated from Douglass College (the women's college of Rutgers University) in 1963 with a degree in chemistry. After moving to California, she worked at Stanford Medical Center briefly before taking a job with ALZA Corp., a research pharmaceutical company. While at ALZA her work was integral to the development of transdermal drug delivery systems, known as "the patch" and still in use today for delivery of medications through the skin, including motion sickness, hormone replacement, and nicotine patches. During her 25 years at ALZA her work resulted in 24 patents, and she co-authored numerous articles related to her research. Her professional contributions are numerous, but some of her most important contributions are personal ones. After her divorce, she was left a single mother in debt and without any credit to her name, but she carried and supported us with a quiet strength and determination, never complaining or feeling sorry for herself. She simply moved forward. She instilled that strength in us and those lucky enough to know her. She worked hard and through determination and sacrifice was able to ultimately purchase a home of her own and to save enough to retire early at the age of 55 while still putting us through college. It was because of those struggles that she opened her home to anyone in need without question or judgment. She is survived by her children, Sarah and George; and four grandchildren. She will be missed and remembered by her family, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing her. We honor her memory not just by remembering her, but also by helping others.