Col Campbell

Lt. Col Donald A. Campbell, US Army Retired, was born in Cleveland, OH in the morning of the 30th day of January, 1920. He was the son of Dr. Freeman Campbell, DDS and Pearl E. Egert Campbell. Don was raised and resided in the Campbell home from birth, until 2007. In that year, he moved to Judson Park Retirement Community where he resided until his death on the 22nd of February, 2010. Don's grandparents were Scottish Immigrants, and the Campbell Clan is a well known name in Scotland. The Campbell?À?s of Argyle had the motto, ?À?Ne Obliviscarus?À?, which means, ?À?Never Forget?À? in Latin. Raised during the great depression, Don was graduate of Shaker Heights High School and worked summers at his grandparents farm in Belmont, Ontario. He was a skilled craftsman and loved working with his hands. At the age of 17, Don joined the 107th First Cleveland Cavalry now recognized as the Ohio National Guard 107th Calvary Regiment, where his knowledge of horses led to his placement as a Forage Sergeant. Prior to the breakout of WWII, Don obtained his BS in Chemistry and completed post graduate studies at Case Western Reserve University Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity ?À?FIJI?À? and subsequently became a commissioned officer. He served under General George Patton?À?s 5th Army Armored Calvary in campaigns against Rommel in North Africa, as well as the invasions of Sicily and Italy, and finally during the ?À?Battle of the Bulge?À? in Europe. During the war, Don met F. Margaret Dakin known to friends and family as ?À?Peggy?À? while stationed in Caserta, Italy in December, 1943. Peggy was serving as a nurse for the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corp. They were introduced through Don?À?s commanding officer at the time, who had invited several of the Royal Canadian Army Nurses to a party. They hit it off, and love blossomed as they were stationed nearby and could see each other often. Upon the war's conclusion, Don and Peggy were married in Montreal in June of 1946. They moved back to Cleveland where he remained with the Ohio National Guard 107th Calvary while working for Smead and Small Company, which became Ducro & Company. He then began his own company, DACampbell & Company DACCO in Cleveland now in Solon. The company was involved in raw chemical brokerage and research to paint, plastic, and coatings industry. Don retired from the Ohio National Guard as a Lt. Colonel and became a member of the board for the First Calvary Association. He joined the Coast Guard Auxiliary a short time later due to his love of boating, which included canoeing, runabouts, water skiing, fishing, cruising, powerboats and sail boats. He was experienced in navigating the Great Lakes, as well as rivers and canals from Florida to New York. Don used to name all the boats he owned, ?À?Bulldog?À?, due to the fact that he owned 4 bulldogs in his lifetime. He was known far and wide for his math barking Bulldogs, Tommy and Gunnar. Don and Peggy traveled extensively after his retirement. They would take cruises in exotic places such as Italy and Morocco, down the Rhine River from Amsterdam to Budapest, as well as the Volga River in Russia. They traveled the United States and Canada by railway and automobile, and sailed the British West Indies. Don was a member of the American Legion Shaker Hts. Post as well as the Masonic Lodge Chagrin Falls. He was a lifetime member of Plymouth Church of Shaker Heights, where his parents were actually part of the founding members. Don was a musician, and played the tuba in the Shaker Hts. Community Band. He was a skeet and trap shooter, and member of the Hawthorn Valley Gun Club. Don was an expert marksman with a shotgun, rifle and a handgun. He would travel to Florida in the wintertime to train at the River Ranch, returning to compete and win at Cleveland events in the springtime. Don was the beloved husband of Margaret nee Dakin and a dear father of Alen F. Lynn of Winter Haven, FL. and Frederick M. Jessie Garcia of Seattle WA. He was the grandfather of Ava Campbell, Heather Campbell, and Manuela Hernandez. He was the brother of the late Malcolm Freeman Campbell, D.D.S. The Family prefers that those who wish to make contributions in his name to the Plymouth Church Foundation, 2860 Coventry Rd, Shaker Hts., OH 44120, where Memorial services will be held Saturday, February 27th at 2pm.


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