Terry was born on February 1937, at White Memorial Hospital in East Los Angeles, to Refugio Calderon Gomez, of Chihuahua, Mexico, and Rosalio Gomez, Sr., of Jalisco Mexico. She was raised in South Central Los Angeles. She was the first born of six children: after her came Leo, David, Connie, Margaret, and many years later, Becky. Terry embraced the role of the leader of her siblings; she made sure they got to school safely, played "school" with them, and bought them Christmas gifts after she began working. She attended Holy Cross and St. Columbkille's Catholic elementary schools, and later graduated from Bishop Conaty Catholic Girls High School with a focus in the secretarial sciences.
During high school, Terry met a handsome beau named Frank Campa at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel High School's St. Patrick's Day Dance. Soon thereafter, they both realized they were meant for each other. As of October 1953, they were going steady. After four years of courtship, they married on June 1957. They moved to Alamogordo, New Mexico, after living in Los Angeles for less than a year. While Frank worked at Lockheed Missiles and Space, Terry worked at Holloman Air Force Base. Then, the army drafted Frank. They had their first child, Diana, in El Paso, Texas, at Beaumont Army Hospital. They moved back to Los Angeles after Frank was discharged from the army. In 1962, they moved to the San Fernando Valley where Terry worked for the VA Hospital, Sepulveda, in a secretarial position for a few years and had her second child, David.
While living in Van Nuys, Terry entered Pierce College because she felt a need to improve her writing skills. After graduating from Pierce with an AA degrees, she later earned her bachelor's degree in English and masters degrees in Bilingual education and Linguistics from California State University, Northridge, and her doctorate in education from the University of San Francisco. She worked for over 30 years in the Los Angeles Unified School District as a teacher, bilingual program coordinator and advisor, assistant principal, principal; she passionately dedicated her professional life to the education and inspiration of children. She retired in February 2005. Frank and Terry celebrated 50 years of marriage on June 2007, with a beautiful ceremony and reception.
Terry was a faithful and loving wife, devoted mother and grandmother, loyal friend, and community leader. Terry was proud of her Mexican heritage, as evidenced by her several years of involvement as a Ballet Folklorico dancer. She was a devout Roman Catholic and active member of the Blessed Kateri Parish in Santa Clarita. She sang in the Spanish choir and the 10:30 a.m. Sunday choir. She anxiously awaited the opening of the new church.
Terry was a lifelong learner, a lover of life, a warm and caring person that always prioritized the needs of others, and was always hospitable to everyone that she encountered. She made friends everywhere she went. She touched the lives of countless people, inspiring them to be their very best. She was a lover of the arts, especially music and dance. She was a woman like no other, and she will be greatly missed.
