Douglas Aaron Campbell

Douglas Aaron Campbell, 84, passed away May 18, 2026, surrounded by family, after a courageous battle with lung cancer and other health ailments. He had a strong will to live, which pushed him through previous health challenges. Family was the foundation of his life. He especially adored his grandchildren, and fortunately was able to have more time and experiences with them due to his resilience and tenacity for life.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Earl John Campbell and his beloved mother, Esther Josephine Campbell, sisters Marlene Glick and Cheryl Berry, and brother-in-law Robert Weber. He will be deeply missed by his wife of 56 years, Connie, children Sean and Catherine, son-i- law Alex, grandchildren Grady, Petra and Sebastian, sister Connie Weber and brothers-in-law Fred Glick and Larry Berry. He will also be lovingly remembered by many nieces, nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews.

Doug was born April 8, 1942 in North Platte, Nebraska. He grew up in Fort Collins, Colorado with his parents, three sisters and extended family. He was an adventurous youth during the post-war transitional time of the 1950s, in a small town, transitional locale of the Rocky Mountains/Great Plains. It was there that he fell in love with the Rockys and developed a joy spending time in nature, including fishing. Doug enlisted in the Navy and served as an Aviation Electronics Technician between the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He looked back at his time in Guam as a rite of passage, an introduction to the greater world. After his service, a sense of wonder and camaraderie led him to a hobby of skydiving with friends. He completed nearly 50 solo jumps in his 20s, an impressive feat for the 1960s. His overseas service also opened his eyes to a lifelong love of travel that continued until his dying day.

His closeness with family brought Connie and him to Tucson, Arizona, where he joined his sisters and their young families. With determination and ingenuity, he bootstrapped his own commercial real estate company, Equity Investments. He continued his career in Tucson real estate for nearly 40 years, owning and operating many high value assets.

About 10 years before he retired, Doug focused his efforts on the residential and community management of the downtown apartments, Colonial Villas. He managed the day-to-day tenant relations with kindness, fairness and sense of community. He was very caring towards people and enjoyed being part of the larger community. Within the Tucson area, Doug expressed his compassionate and helpful nature with charity work. He was a proud volunteer at Big Brothers Tucson where he was president for a time. He was part of the Centurions service organization, which supported St. Mary s Hospital to raise money for burn victims. He was a vestry member of the St. Paul's Episcopal Church in the 1980s and continued his faith in God.

Doug was a keystone member of his greater family. His nieces and nephews share that his love and guidance have been important in their lives and his son-in-law considered him a surrogate father after the early passing of his father. He always kept up with the goings on of all the family members. As a leader in the "Campbell Clan", he loved acting as a mentor; recalling family and personal stories with humor, to acting as an advisor (he had strong opinions) and was always proud of his Scottish heritage. Funnily enough, after receiving DNA results, it turned out that his "English" and "German" American wife has more Scottish blood than he did, but that did not change his love of the bagpipes! A saver (or custodian to be kind) of the family memories and memorabilia, Doug kept all the historical records and then some. He liked tangible mementos from his own life as well. He enjoyed documenting his travels and loved to share photos with anyone who was willing to participate. He also loved sharing family photos, especially those of his grandchildren and those with his wife.

He delighted in puttering around the house, a self-taught "Mr. Fix It". He liked to be handy, helpful and solve tricky problems. He appreciated games of all types, especially golf and cards with friends and family. These were enjoyable pastimes for him, even when a game of cribbage became contested (Doug was often "right). He was headstrong and assertive, shared his convictions and passions. He had a strong value system and was driven by his principles. Patience was not one of his virtues and his stubbornness could be challenging. However, his interest in people, hearing their stories and learning about their lives, helped open his perspective through the years.

Doug loved. He was a very thoughtful, considerate and caring person. He was a devoted son. At his mother's funeral, in his own words, he said, "her life and selflessness was a great, if difficult, example to follow." That she "was a special lady" and "taught us all the meaning of love." The same is true for him. He was a special person and showed us that love of family is paramount.

Doug loved Connie. He devotedly supported her profession as an educator and was very proud of her accomplishments. He was actively involved with her students and helped with travel competitions and other activities. His favorite times were spent traveling with Connie, exploring new places, visiting family in Colorado and Northern California, or just on a scenic drive with her. He had been concerned for Connie's welfare throughout their lives together as he had various health issues, and it was an unselfish focus of his, up until the time of his death. His consideration had no limit.

We will carry fond memories and he will forever be in our hearts. In lieu of flowers, the tamily welcomes memorial donations to Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital or Shriners Children's.