Obituary
It is with deep sorrow and love that we mourn the passing of Donna Marie Campbell, at the age of ninety.
She is survived by her sons and their wives, Michael and Kathy Campbell, Jeffrey and Margo Campbell and Jeanne Campbell. Her three grandchildren, Blaise Campbell, Stephanie Calderon, and Charlotte Sanders. Also, her great grandchildren, Emmett Sanders, Amelia “Mia” Sanders, Marshall Dean Sanders, and August Calderon.
She was predeceased by her loving husband George Campbell, sons Steven Campbell and William “Billy” Campbell, her grandchildren Morgan and Dominick Campbell, and her brothers Roland and Bruce Giese.
She was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, growing up on a farm and attending a one room schoolhouse. She always spoke her mind-even as a child. Her teacher once thumbtacked her dress to her chair because she kept getting up from her desk. She hated living on a farm and did not want to marry a farmer. When her high school sweetheart, George, asked her to marry him she asked, “are you going to be a farmer”? He said no, she said yes, and they embarked on a 20-year adventure with the US Air Force living overseas in France and Germany, and in the states of Arizona, Minnesota, Delaware, and Fairbanks Alaska twice. First from 1964 to 1968 and then again in 1969 when George retired from the Air Force.
She worked for the Daily News Miner where she managed all the newspaper carriers in Fairbanks. She was the bookkeeper for our father’s businesses, Arctic Distributing and Sports Cache, which was in our house on Noble Street. In 1979 our parents bought the D&L Schwinn Bicycle shop and Campbell Sports was born. She managed that business with George from 1979 to his passing in 1989, eventually selling that business in 1992, and going to work for Fairbanks Distributors. When she retired, she moved to Arizona residing in Robson Ranch outside Casa Grande and then to Ocala Florida in 2023 to be close to her sons.
She played softball in the Geritol league with her friends, calling the team The Sports Cache Turkey’s. I remember our father asking her one evening…What is for dinner? She had a game that night and she replied…I do not know George, whatever your cooking, and out the door she went. He eventually gave up and just came to her games. She loved playing softball with her friends, and she loved fast cars! One day she bought George a new El Camino without his knowledge. He was pleased till he saw the 1978 Indy Pace Car Corvette that she also bought for herself at the same time. The sales associate could not believe she bought both cars without his knowledge or permission and was thankful that she was not his wife!
Our mom lived her way and on her terms. She loved her family, friends and her 1978 Corvette. She loved a nice Ribeye steak, lemon drop martinis and playing cards with her friends in Robson Ranch, Arizona. She loved to travel, taking a skiing trip to Switzerland and an around the world cruise with a total stranger that she met in the swimming pool.
Visitation will be at Chapel of Chimes at 415 Illinois St. on August 24th from 12 noon to 3pm. Immediately after she will go to her resting place at the Northern Lights Memorial Park on Yankovitch Rd. where family and friends are welcome to share any memories they wish to share about Donna.
You will be remembered for your smile, resilience and an irrepressible host to all the Campbell clan that visited Alaska. Mom & Dad loved your visits to WI and all the memories shared and stories told. A life well lived with many memories that will become family treasures. Our hearts go out to all of you.
The Jim Campbell family-WI