W. Ross Campbell, Jr. Obituary (1936 - 2023)

W. Ross Campbell, Jr., age 87, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by loving family, on Sunday, September 24, 2023. Ross was born May 31, 1936, in Kansas City, MO. At a young age he started swimming and went on to be a competitive swimmer with the Kansas City Athletic Club. He was active in scouting and worked hard to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. He graduated from Southwest High School in 1954 and immediately joined the Marine Corps. During his second year of service, he began swimming competitively within the Corps and was sent to qualify for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics where he made it all the way to the quarter finals. Upon completing his military service, he returned home and attended The University of Missouri as a business major and pledged Sigma Chi fraternity. A move to southern California came next with a job in medical equipment sales and meeting of a woman from South Dakota, Pat Flynn, who later became his wife. They were married on November 22, 1963, and were blessed to spend nearly sixty years together. In May of 1966, they had their first child, Wally, and several months later moved to Metairie, LA, where their second child, Kathy, was born in 1970. Ross eventually took a job in Texas and moved the family to Plano in 1971. They joined First United Methodist Church Plano in 1972. Ross’s technical mind and ability to connect with people were well suited for his career in sales. He was named salesman of the year multiple times while representing a variety of clients across multiple industries. The demands of work required frequent travel, but Ross still managed to be active in the lives of his family. He always found time to attend his children’s games and piano recitals, to coach little league football, and to share his love of the outdoors. Once retired, he was free to spend more time with his grandchildren which brought him his greatest joy. He was a strong supporter of Ducks Unlimited and hunter safety programs. He enjoyed fishing and boating, but his passion was bird hunting. For almost forty years, he organized annual hunts including dove hunts in west Texas and pheasant hunts in Kansas and South Dakota. These hunts meant the world to him, and he loved the camaraderie that came with bringing 20-30 hunters together. Ross was an avid reader, history buff, outdoorsman, and patriotic, flag flying Marine. He was never short on opinions and could have you laughing with his quick wit in seconds. His outgoing personality and knowledge allowed him to carry on conversations with anyone about anything. He was a thoughtful and generous man who would drop everything for a family member or friend in need. He was known to his grandkids as “Papa,” a name he loved and cherished. He was a true people person and touched many lives across multiple generations. He lived his life with the motto, Love of God, Love of Family, Love of Country. He is preceded in death by his parents, W. Ross Campbell and Gladys Williams Campbell and his sister, Elaine Rankin. He is survived by wife, Pat, his son, Wally (Lara) Campbell of Denton, TX, his daughter, Kathy (Nate) Severson of Allen, TX, his grandson Hunter and granddaughter Elliott of Allen, TX. A celebration of life service will be held Saturday, October 21 at 2:00pm at First United Methodist Church Plano, 3160 E Spring Creek Pkwy, Plano, TX 75074 In lieu of flowers, please consider a charitable donation to First United Methodist Church Plano. Fumcplano.org Click this link to view additional details about Wallace's Services: https://my.gather.app/remember/wallace-campbell-jr