Marian CAMPBELL

1921 - 2022

CAMPBELL, Marian H.

Born Oct. 1921, in South Lebanon, OH, passed away peacefully on August 24, just shy of celebrating her 101st birthday. A graduate of Stivers High School, Marian later went on to get her teaching degree at Miami University (OH) while already being employed as a teacher for 4 years and finishing her degree at night. She worked her entire career at Trotwood Madison High School and impacted the lives of many students as a vocational coordinator – often getting stopped on the streets or at stores to be given hugs by her adoring students many years later.

In her retirement, Marian stayed incredibly active as a volunteer at the Victoria Theater, and as a docent at the Dayton Art Institute, where she was honored with emeritus status after many years of leading tours with countless school aged students teaching them how to truly appreciate art the way that she did.

Ever the hostess, Marian was known for her love of company, and often hosted cocktail parties with her friends and family at her beloved home in the Oregon District. She took great pride in her home and our city's history and graciously opened her doors as part of the Oregon District Historical Society's Christmas Tours. Later in life, she hosted many friends, both new and old, in her apartment at 10 Wilmington Place.

Her family and friends will remember her for her love of all things dazzling and beautiful, especially art, flowers, and a perfectly polished, fashionable ensemble. A master storyteller, Marian captivated her audiences when she retold the magnificent tales of the gigantic life she lived. Marian was always looking for a reason to pull out her most glamorous jewels and dresses, and while she certainly looked like "a million bucks," some of her favorite stories to tell were of the lengths she went to find those treasures at a great bargain. She often joked that she wanted her gravestone to read: "She tried to be fancy."

Faithfulness and loyalty were two of Marian's core values, so it's no surprise how deeply her love for dogs ran. The many stray dogs that found their way to her were some of her most true and loyal friends, just as she was to them, and undoubtedly greeted her with an overdue welcome.

Above all else, Marian believed in the goodness of people and served as a shining example of how to live life with open arms and a loving heart, always willing to take in family and friends when they were in need, and extending her help and her home when the people she loved needed it most. Mere words simply cannot capture how much she will be missed.

She is preceded in death by her beloved husband Captain Robert J. Campbell, U.S.N.R. (Ret.), parents EJ and Ruby, brother Justin (Connie), and sisters Marge (Ted) and Betty (Rudy), Goldie and her many other faithful dogs. Marian is survived by her sons, Robert J. Campbell III and Douglas (Jeanne) Campbell, by her grandchildren, Scott (Patricia), Kelly (Summer), and Robert IV, and her great-grandchildren, Lauren and Colin. She is also survived by her former daughter-in-law, Heidi (Phil) Campbell, nephew Greg (Katie) Pugliese and their children Joseph and Monica, nephew Jon (Patricia) Brazelton and his children Lisa, Tony, and Adrienne, nephew EJ (Cindy) Haberer, niece Barbara (Michael) Hopkins and her children Jeff and Matt.

We will honor and celebrate the life of this incredible woman, with one last toast in her honor for family and friends at The Trolley Stop, 530 E. 5th St., Dayton, OH, on October 2, 2022, from 4-6pm. RSVP appreciated but not required: Kelly: 937-907-0168 (call or text).

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made with SICSA or The Humane Society of Greater Dayton, in her honor.