Catherine "Cathy" Campbell

Catherine “Cathy” Mary (Downs) Campbell of Hudson, WI, passed away unexpectedly, of natural causes at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, MN, with her husband Lance, daughter Molly, and family at her side on April 11, 2025 at age 65. Cathy was born in Duluth, MN on February 10th, 1960, to Norman and Mae (LeBlanc) Downs.

She was a proud alumni of the Proctor High School class of 1978 and attended the University of Minnesota-Duluth. She married Lance Campbell in 1984, and together they were blessed with a daughter, Molly.

Cathy worked as a personal banker for 13 years in the Hudson community, and later for over a decade in car sales at Fury Motors in Stillwater, MN, until retirement. She loved the challenging and dynamic environment of working in sales, and valued the personal and business relationships formed with co-workers and long-term customers.

Cathy was a special and unique person who lived in the moment, guided by values founded in family, her Catholic faith, and personal philosophies. She refrained from judging people, valued love above all else, and didn’t stress over the small things. Cathy expressed her love openly and fostered close relationships with her husband, daughter, family members and friends. She prioritized supporting people in need of a friend, companion, or other resources. She found joy in nature and by appreciating the simple things in life. She enjoyed traveling, hiking, and being near waterfalls. A lifelong fishing enthusiast, she shared this passion with her husband and many family members. Cathy loved having fun and enjoying life through outdoor concerts, yard games, and especially campfires at the cabin. In recent years, she found a love for pickleball and made many new friends while playing regularly with her sister and brother-in-law.

Cathy was preceded in death by her parents, Norman and Mae Downs; and sister, Penny Jackson. She will be remembered by her husband, Lance Campbell of Hudson, and daughter, Molly Campbell (John Schmitt) of Madison, WI; siblings, Tim (Mary) Downs of Duluth, MN, Bill (Kris) Downs of Proctor, MN, Charlie Downs of Esko, MN, Tom (Marilyn) Downs of Spicer, MN, Sue (Gerry) Aune of Cloquet, MN, Matt Downs of Cloquet, Peggy (Dan) Claflin of Hudson, Jane (Bruce) Berggren of Duluth; brother-in-law Steve Jackson of Duluth; mother-in-law, Peg Campbell of Duluth; and special nephew Andrew (Kristen) Aune and their three children.

The family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to the neurocritical care team at Regions Surgical ICU for the special attention given to Cathy and family during her final hours.

A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, June 6, at O’Connell Funeral Home, 520 11th St. S., Hudson, WI. A rosary will be held at 10:40a.m. followed by visitation from 11:00a.m. to 12:00p.m. and service starting at 12:00p.m. Memorials are preferred to the family and will go to Operation Help in Hudson.