Roland D. Campbell's Obituary
CAMPBELL, Roland D., age 71, of Dayton, passed away Saturday, October 11, 2025, at his residence, surrounded by family.
Roland honorably served in the United States Army during the Vietnam era. He retired from Kone Cranes of Springfield as a mechanic and inspector after 23 years of service to the company. Earlier in his working career, he worked for the MPH Crane in Preble County for several years. Following his official retirement, he continued keeping busy by working at Penske, transporting rental trucks to their required destinations. He enjoyed working with his son-in-law, frequently traveling around the country transporting vehicles for his auto sales business.
Roland had an incredible work ethic with a quirky sense of humor. Politically minded, he was an avid Republican who spent his free time watching the news, talk, and conversation shows. Sharing his political enthusiasm with his daughter, Wendy, he enjoyed their daily conversations about current events. He was funny, always kidding and joking around, and loved to use the alias “Harold Johnson” to create some fun with people. One eventful time, he even delayed a surgery by a couple of hours when he confused the hospital staff with his alias name. The staff couldn’t figure out which patient they were treating that day, until they figured out his fun.
Always tinkering and building things, Roland loved woodworking and remodeling projects. He was often the guy people called when they needed a deck built for their home, which Roland loved to do. Roland was the guy to call if you needed help with any handyman project. He was also a Certified Electrician. He took pride in teaching his daughters his woodworking skills, which Amanda became good at in her adult life. Along with his numerous woodworking projects, he also enjoyed cooking and creating delectables. He shared his love of cooking with his daughter, Shawna, passing on many of his many favorite recipies. His family will look back fondly on his delicious cabbage rolls, chicken wings, biscuits and gravy, and his signature seven-layer salad, which he took to every family get-together. Among many things, however, perhaps his favorite pastime was trying his luck with scratch-off lottery tickets, and occasionally at the casinos. The pride of his life was being a papaw to 16 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren (with two more on the way).
Roland looked forward to Christmas each year, which he especially loved by seeing the joy on the faces of his grandkids. He even dressed up as Santa during one eventful season, which created lots of memories for both the grandkids and himself. In addition, he enjoyed the tradition of family reunions with the Campbell and Day families over the years. A man of many traits, Roland collected several items. He especially enjoyed collecting baseball cards, nominal coins from different countries, Zippo lighters, and Beanie Babies. He was also a dog lover, with his Pitbull, Sandy, and Shih Tzus, Jinx and Lucy, being his favorites.
Roland was preceded in death by his son, James Campbell; daughter, Lisa Campbell; his parents, Richard and Grace Campbell; and seven brothers, Mark, Richard “Dick”, Ronnie, Russell, Bob, and two infants, Tim and Brian Campbell. He is survived by three daughters, Amanda (Jason) Powell, Wendy Campbell (James Klawonn), and Shawna Campbell (Amanda Rogers); 16 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; two sisters, Ruthann Watson and Roberta Campbell-Stine (Joe); and one nephew who was raised as Roland’s brother, Bobby Watson.
The family will receive friends from Noon to 1 PM on Monday, October 20, at Stubbs-Conner Funeral Home in Waynesville. A life celebration service will immediately follow the visitation at 1 PM on Monday at the funeral home, with Mike Elliot officiating the service. Burial will be in Valley View Memorial Gardens, Xenia. Condolences at www.stubbsconner.com.
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