James Godwin Campbell passed away on Thursday morning, September 3, 2020. He was a loving father, grandfather, uncle, and great-grandfather.
Jim was born on July 31, 1926, in Waseca, Minnesota, the son of the late James Henry Campbell and Nelle Mae (Godwin) Campbell. On August 5, 1949, he married Maizie Ruth Love in Indianapolis, Indiana. She preceded him in death.
A 1943 graduate of Childersburg High School in Childersburg, Alabama, Jim went on to study at the Electrical School in the United States Navy and at the Purdue University Indianapolis Center, where he studied electrical engineering.
He worked as an electrical and control engineer and served as a project manager at RCA, Merz Engineering, Wallace Expanding Machine Company, and the George E. Booth Company.
Jim was a decorated World War II veteran, serving from 1944 to 1947 as an Electronics Technician Mate First Class, working with radar. He was stationed at bases in Great Lakes, Illinois, and Norfolk, Virginia, and served aboard the USS Houston and USS Missouri. He was recalled to service during the Korean War from 1950 to 1952 and served at the Naval Air Station in San Diego, California.
He was a Mason and a Murat Shriner Highlander, where he played the bagpipes. Jim enjoyed riding his 1965 BMW motorcycle, bowling, and photography. He was generous in supporting charitable organizations and devoted time to helping with the Special Olympics.
Jim was a devoted father and grandfather who worked tirelessly throughout his life to provide for and support his family.
He is survived by his daughters: Catherine “Cathy” Shiner and her husband Scott of Denmark, Wisconsin; Bonita “Bonnie” Novak and her husband Allan of Vestal, New York; Deborah “Debbie” Gardner and her husband Mark of Batesville, Indiana; and Ruth King and her husband Patrick of Indianapolis, Indiana; as well as nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
In addition to his parents and wife, Jim was predeceased by three siblings: William Campbell, Ronald Woodrum, and Alice Gore.
Visitation was held on Friday, September 11, 2020, at Feeney-Hornak Keystone Mortuary in Indianapolis, Indiana, followed by a funeral service. Burial took place at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis.
Services at the funeral home and graveside were livestreamed on the Feeney-Hornak Keystone Facebook page.
Sources
Obituary published by Feeney-Hornak Keystone Mortuary via Dignity Memorial:
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/indianapolis-in/james-campbell-9345240