David G. Campbell

1930 - 2020

David G. Campbell

David Gwynne Campbell, age 90, a longtime resident of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, passed away peacefully on October 10, 2020. He was a man of great faith as well as a very loving and deeply devoted husband, father and grandfather. He will be greatly missed by his family, all his friends and colleagues.

David was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on May 2, 1930 to Lois Raymond Henager and Lavada (Ray) Henager-Campbell. David moved with his family to several cities before ultimately settling in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he graduated from Tulsa Central High School in 1948. After graduation, he attended the University of Tulsa and was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. It was there that he met his future wife, Janet G. (Newland) Campbell. Also, during this period, he served in the U.S. Naval Reserve. David graduated from the University of Tulsa in 1953 with a B.S. Degree in Geology. He then joined the U.S. Army for several years serving as an Artillery Instructor at Fort Sill before beginning his studies at the University of Oklahoma. In 1957, he subsequently earned his M.S. in Geology and began his long-storied career with Lone Star Producing Company in Oklahoma City. David later married Janet on March 1, 1958.

David's career continued to flourish, as he joined Tenneco Oil Company in 1965. He ultimately rose to the level of Mid-Continent District Geologist and Division Geological Consultant. He was responsible for several major company discoveries over a twelve-year span. David then joined Leede Exploration in 1977 as the Exploration Manager and continued with a string of significant discoveries in the Anadarko and Arkoma Basins for Leede. In 1980, he formed Earth Hawk Exploration as a geological consulting company which he maintained until his retirement. In 1983, he joined the newly formed PetroCorp Incorporated to head up the Mid-Continent Division for the Houston based firm and remained there for the next fifteen years. David formally retired in 1998 but maintained informal consulting relationships with many of his lifelong industry friends and colleagues. He was the recipient of innumerous industry awards and accolades over the length of his career. David greatly appreciated and thoroughly enjoyed his association with the AAPG, SIPES, the Oklahoma Geological Foundation and the Petroleum Club of Oklahoma City. Throughout the years, he continued to provide mentorship to numerous students from the OU School of Geology and Geophysics.

On the personal front, David had a great passion for aviation and Native American studies, the latter of which he shared with his wife, Janet. He immensely enjoyed flying after earning his pilot license and subsequently made numerous flights from Oklahoma to Oshkosh, WI, in an open cockpit Stearman biplane. His love for flying was only eclipsed by his commitment to the Native American History and Arts. He co-authored with his wife numerous articles for the Journal of Cherokee Studies over the years. He was intently involved with Red Earth Indian Center and co-founded their Ambassador of the Year Award which is awarded annually to those individuals who have made significant contributions in presenting a positive image of American Indians. He was recently included in the Elders Council of Red Earth for which he was most proud. David was also involved in the initial formation of the American Indian Cultural Center in Oklahoma City which is now known as the First American's Museum.

David was preceded in death by his parents and, most recently, his beloved wife of 62 years. He is survived by his son, Carl D. Campbell and daughter-in-law, Jennifer N. Campbell, along with his only granddaughter, Victoria G. Campbell, all of whom currently reside in Houston, Texas.

Visitation is scheduled for October 21st at 4 PM to 8 PM at the Memorial Park Funeral Home. The funeral services will be held at 1 PM on October 22nd at the First Presbyterian Church of Edmond and interment will immediately follow at the Memorial Park Cemetery in Oklahoma City. As an alternative to flowers, the family asks that donations can also be made in his honor to the Janet and David G. Campbell Native American Scholarship Program directed by the Oklahoma Geological Foundation or to Red Earth, Inc. of Oklahoma City.