CALIFORNIA – Willa Jean Bridges, 76, of Newbury Park, California, formerly of South Portland, Maine, passed away suddenly on Saturday, March 14, 2020, at Los Robles Hospital in Thousand Oaks, California. Born on January 15, 1944, in Portland, Maine, she was the daughter of the late William and Jean Campbell of South Portland. She grew up in South Portland and attended South Portland schools. Willa lived most of her life in Portland, Maine. She was a single parent and worked hard to provide for her daughter. She had recently moved to California to spend the later part of her life with her daughter and family. Willa was a very crafty and creative person. She loved to sew and could spend hours in a fabric store. She also loved to paint and enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren doing art projects, even creating a custom Minecraft t-shirt for her granddaughter. But her favorite activity was reading. She loved to read. She enjoyed spending time outside always with her book at her side. She loved her animals, especially her white cats, and was always giving them extra treats. She had a generous heart and a giving spirit. She was smart, funny and had a great sense of humor. She cared for others, taking care of her ailing parents, and always making sure they had a special outing each week. She enjoyed spending time with her nephew Brendan, they had many funny adventures at the McDonald’s drive-thru and they both enjoyed going to the beach and watching the ocean. She is survived by her only daughter, Julie DiMartino and her husband, Mark DiMartino, of Newbury Park, Calif.; three grandchildren, Nathan as she affectionately called him “blanket boy” because he was always wrapped up in his blanket, Natalie, as she called her the “prettiest girl in the world” and Sophia DiMartino, who she said had the prettiest strawberry-blonde hair, of Newbury Park, Caif. She is also survived by three brothers, Jerry Campbell and his wife Nancy of Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Brian Campbell of Scarborough, Maine, and Dana Campbell and his wife Erica of South Portland, Maine, and by many nieces and nephews.Willa was predeceased by her parents, William and Jean Campbell.A Celebration of Life will be held during the summer in Portland, Maine.Those who wish to remember her in a special way can make an honor donation to the ASPCA online.

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