Donald B. Campbell

Donald B. Campbell, 88, of Galena, IL, died peacefully on December 22, 2023. The Furlong Funeral Chapel, Galena is assisting the family. Don, and Priscilla, who predeceased him in 2020, lived in the Galena Territory for over 25 years. Both loved the area’s natural beauty, engaging community, and diverse plants and wildlife. Don and Priscilla came to Galena after Don retired from a calling in accounting and finance, which he began at Arthur Andersen in Chicago after graduating from the University of Illinois and serving in the United States Army in France. Don left accountancy for the manufacturing industry in 1970 when he joined the dairy machinery company Cherry-Burrell in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He stayed with the corporation that owned Cherry-Burrell for over twenty years, followed by a period with a consulting firm in Chicago in the early 1990s before he returned to Cedar Rapids to cap out his career with Kwik-Way Manufacturing. Don was an active member of his community, serving on the board of the Cedar Rapids Symphony, raising money for the United Cerebral Palsy Foundation, volunteering with Junior Achievement, and, in the Galena area, working with the Rotary Club and Habitat for Humanity. Don and Priscilla both believed strongly in giving back to the communities in which they lived and worked, and they did so throughout their lives. Don is remembered for many things, including his sense of humor, his keen intellect and interest in engaging in conversation, and his commitment to doing a job well. He was devoted to his 56-year marriage to Priscilla, whom he missed dearly, and to his never-ending interest in learning; he was an unwavering believer in the value of education. An avid reader, he had a lifelong love of music, particularly opera and symphonies which he played loudly. Don enjoyed playing golf – he was particularly clutch when modest bets were on the line – and was a good cook who liked replicating and occasionally improving recipes from noted restaurants he had visited. Don was a great fan of Big Ten football and basketball, and we know that he pulls for the Fighting Illini even now. Above all, he and Priscilla were devoted parents and grandparents who put their family first. He is survived by children Benton and Bethany, and grandchildren Emily, Evan, and Nathan. A memorial service will be held at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Benjamin Christopher Tvedt Memorial Lectureship Fund, the care of the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation. We think about Don and Priscilla daily, and we are grateful for everything they did for us and our time together. As fundamental optimists who strove to improve themselves and the world around them, they embraced the saying, “Don’t be sad because it’s over, smile because it happened.”