Alan Townsend Campbell died on Oct. 25 at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He was 71 and was well known on the Vineyard where he had been principal of the Tisbury School for 22 years.

Alan was born and raised in Melrose. He attended Melrose schools, graduating from Melrose High School in 1957. He had such fond memories of growing up in Melrose, where he had many friends with whom he kept in close contact throughout his life. Immediately after graduation from high school he joined the United States Marine Corps. Upon his discharge he had no definite plans for the future. He credited a special group of high school friends for recognizing his potential and encouraging him to attend college, which of course he did. Thanks to them he embarked on a successful and rewarding career in education.

Alan attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst where he earned his undergraduate degree and master’s degree in history. His teaching career began at the Audubon Junior High School in Los Angeles, California from 1966-1968. In 1968 he returned to the East Coast to complete his master’s degree. While attending classes and working on his thesis he taught history at Belchertown High School. He remained in Belchertown from 1968 to 1972. While there, he coached baseball and served as president of the Belchertown Teachers Association. During those years he made many friends and inspired many students.

In the summer of 1972 Alan and his wife, Connie, moved to the Vineyard where he assumed the position of assistant principal of the Tisbury School. In 1976 he was appointed principal and remained in that post until his retirement in 1998.

Oh how, Alan loved the Tisbury School. The school faculty and staff were like family to him. He had such respect for them and took such pride in all of their accomplishments, diligent work and dedication. And it paid off. Led by Mr. Campbell, the school gained national recognition in 1996, when it was the first school on the Island to be awarded a national blue ribbon for excellence. Alan was also very proud of being a part of the construction of the addition to the school which consists of the library, science classrooms and kindergarten. Alan truly loved his students. After they graduated from Tisbury, he followed their progress at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School. He made sure he congratulated them for all of their accomplishments, whether for academics or athletics. He made sure they received a personal phone call or a handwritten letter. After his retirement, he continued to hold the Tisbury School community very dear to his heart.

When he retired from education, Alan worked part-time doing house inspections for both Martha’s Vineyard Insurance and U.S. Underwriters. It was a job he enjoyed and he often boasted about the thousands of houses he had inspected on the Island. Whatever job Alan had throughout his life, big or small, he did it with enthusiasm and excellence. He was an all-around great guy — funny, intelligent, honest, straightforward, dependable, loyal, and a family man to the core. Alan truly loved his family.

He is survived by his loving wife, Cornelia Hollinger Campbell; his daughters, Joanne Campbell Cannistraro and her husband Michael of Waltham, Katie Campbell Milo and her husband T.J. of New York city; his son, Peter Campbell and his wife Jessica of Vineyard Haven; his adored grandchildren, Joel, Michael and Arianna Cannisraro of Waltham and Jed Morgan Campbell of Vineyard Haven.

The family requests that donations be made in his memory to Angel Flight Northeast; because of them, his treatments actually turned out to be a pleasant experience. The address is Angel Flight NE, 492 Sutton street, North Andover, MA 01845, or angelflightne.org.