A memorial service for former U.S. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell will be held today (Monday) at the Sky Ute Casino Event Center in Ignacio. Doors open at noon, and the ceremony will run from 1 to 3 p.m., followed by a reception.
The ceremony will be livestreamed on The Durango Herald’s homepage at www.durangoherald.com.
Campbell, who died Dec. 30, lived a varied life: He was a politician, rancher, horse trainer, judo Olympian, truck driver and accomplished jeweler, among other hobbies and professions.
The memorial service will feature several speakers who will talk about Campbell’s military service, judo and Olympic years, political and cultural legacy, and more. A Hoop Dance ceremony and a Rocky Mountain PBS documentary will also be shown.
Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell in his office in the Russell Senate Office Building on Sept. 27, 2004, during his last months in office. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file)
