John H. Campbell, Jr

John H. Campbell, Jr., 78, of Mishawaka, died at 3:22 pm, January 4, 2022, after a long illness. John is survived by his son, Christopher Campbell; his brother, Ted Ross Campbell and sister-in-law, Carol Campbell; his sister, Sally Campbell Avignone; by his nieces, Mara Richardson and Diane Crampton; nephew, Eric Campbell; grand nephews, Jacob Richardson, Curtis and Colin Crampton, and Vincent Campbell and grand nieces, Emma Crampton, Grace Campbell, and Tessa and Jenna Campbell. John H. Campbell, Jr., was born, son of John H. Campbell, Sr., and Jean O’Mara Campbell, on September 12, 1943, in Buffalo, NY. In 1946, the family moved back to the Cleveland area and into a house on Lake Erie in Mentor, Ohio. There John spent his growing up years and was a graduate of Mentor High School in 1961. He went on to Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio and graduated in 1965. After graduation, his first job was in Human Resources at G.E.’s Nela Park campus in East Cleveland. It was there that he met his wife, Gail Payne. Continuing a career in Human Resources, he worked for Armour Dial in several of their locations. Their first son, Joseph, was born in Chicago, and their second son, Christopher, in Fort Madison, IA. After receiving a Master’s Degree in Organizational Development from Chicago’s Laboratory Graduate School, he was hired by Harley-Davidson, and the family moved to Milwaukee, WI. While at Harley, he helped the company create and implement an employee-participating organization plan that included a “Promise” to employees that has been adopted since by companies world-wide. While in Milwaukee, John became the Vice-President in Charge of Human Relations. When charged with starting up a new plant in the South Bend, Indiana, area, John and family moved to the town of Mishawaka, IN. But after a time, his wife, Gail’s, illness, and his son, Joe’s, needs as a patient with cystic fibrosis, and his son Christopher’s disabling auto accident combined to move him to retire so he could devote full time to his family’s needs and enhancing their lives. A condo in New Smyrna Beach, FL, was restorative for Gail. NASCAR racing was close for Joe to enjoy and John took Christopher deep sea fishing. The condo was also near a wildlife preserve where John could pursue his life-long passion for birding. Gail’s illness became acute and she died in 2005. Joe, although he had lived long for his disease, heroically, died in 2009. John was a faithful contributor to the local New Beginnings Fellowship Church during this time and also to Life Station, a day camp for at-risk young people. During the last years of his life, John suffered from complications from an earlier accident and was hospitalized with pneumonia when he died peacefully in his sleep on January 4, 2022. He will be remembered by his family most especially for the many years of strong faith and faithful devotion to the enrichment of the lives of his handicapped children. A committal service will be held at 2:00 pm, Thursday, January 13, 2022 in the mausoleum chapel of Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens, 10776 McKinley Highway, Osceola. You may also join in a zoom meeting https://afterword.com/stories/john-h-campbell-jr. Mishler Funeral Home, Bremen is handling arrangements. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:15