William Donald Kampa

William Donald Kampa, "Bill" died at the age of 34 on Sunday September 14th, 2025 after a hard-fought courageous journey with brain cancer. Surrounded by loved ones in physical presence and spirit, Bill passed at his family home. Dearly loved, forever cherished. Bill truly made the lives of others better for knowing him. Born in Maplewood on June 26th, 1991, the youngest of the Lino Lakes Kampas, Bill was sweet right from the start. Through Scouts and family camping trips, Bill's love of the outdoors started from a young age. Gregarious and outgoing, Bill's silly spirit drew people to him like magnets; he was always surrounded by a gaggle of friends. Committed to making people laugh and enjoy themselves, Bill's effusive personality carried on to his adult life, often appearing at functions prepared with jokes to crack and a fanny-pack full of snacks he would offer to passersby. Thanks to their St. Mark confirmation class, Bill met his future wife, Nicole in their middle school years. Active in the church youth group throughout high school, Nicole and Bill started dating July 8th, 2008 on the last day of their second mission trip and haven't left each other's side since. They married August 22nd, 2025 after 17 blissful and love-filled years together, remaining steadfast in their devotion to one another. A passionate outdoorsman, neither humidity, insect nor storm could prevent Bill from experiencing nature. A lover of fresh air and physical exertion, Bill enjoyed a plethora of hobbies to the fullest. Mountain biking, backpacking, rock climbing, kayaking, camping, snowboarding, a nice overnight suspended in a hammock, and of course his passion for skateboarding. He enjoyed documenting each of his excursions with his camera. In 2020 he acquired a 1987 Volkswagen Vanagon, which he loved spending time making improvements on. Bill loved woodworking, from building things to refurbishing, he loved working with his hands. To balance out some of that fresh air, Bill also enjoyed a variety of indoor activities. Playing video and computer games, which he utilized as a way to stay connected with friends; he loved learning new songs on the guitar and debuting them for Nicole; he also built his own desktop computer. His love for adventure and eagerness for new experiences, studied abroad for a semester with lifelong friend, Dan, to Ingolstadt, Germany. He left with a great appreciation for community, doners, and worse English than when he started, and lasting friendships. After graduating from St. Cloud State University in 2015, Bill had a 10 year career as an auditor in public accounting at PWB and Eide Bailey where colleagues described him as approachable, dedicated, friendly and always willing to lend an ear. Bill made clients and coworkers alike feel seen, heard and taken care of. A truly caring person, Bill was one to show up at someone's funeral, even if he did not know them that well, participated in work events and enjoyed being around the people he cared about. He always supported the people he loved and made himself available for everyone. A conscientious man, he felt things very deeply and cared very much about those around him. A hard worker, lover of pizza with a need for ranch, the greatest head of hair anyone could ask for and the sunniest smile known to earth. Words cannot adequately describe the immeasurable loss his presence on earth is. The family wishes to thank the amazing people involved in Bill's health journey throughout these last few years: his care team at the U of MN Masonic Cancer Center, as well as the hospice staff of Our Lady of Peace. Each person we encountered gave thoughtful care and attention to Bill and to us. You have our deepest gratitude. Bill is survived by his wife, Nicole; cat Asparagus; parents Diane and Glen Kampa; siblings Cori (Kent) Berthiaume and Nick (Tai) Kampa, sister-in-law Amanda; many nieces and nephews, step-nephew, aunts, uncles and cousins. Bill is preceded in death by paternal grandparents Donald and Margaret Kampa; maternal grandparents, Jean and Clayton "Bob" Pengra; dear cousin Teresa McCauley; beloved aunt Kathy Gangl; and mother-in-law, Rebecca Bodnarczuk. Instead of a traditional wake, we will be participating in the ABTA Twin Cities BT 5k at Como Park on October 4th, 2025 under the Team Name "Cuz We Care". All are welcome. Please visit http://give.abta.org/cuzwecare to register or donate to support Brain Tumor research in memory of Bill. Bill's Celebration of Life will be held at Living Waters Lutheran Church, 865 Birch St, Lino Lakes, MN, on October 5th, 2025. Visitation begins at 1pm with service at 2pm and gathering to follow. The service will be live streamed at https://livingwaterslutheran.org/ In lieu of flowers or gifts, please donate to the American Brain Tumor Association or Musella Foundation and consider planting a tree on your property in Bill's memory.