Kenneth Keith Campbell

1953 - 2019

(News story) Kenneth Keith Campbell of Perrysburg, who helped Northwood-based Campbell, Inc. grow from a small Toledo business to a multimillion-dollar enterprise with several locations, died Dec. 1 at ProMedica Toledo Hospital. He was 66.

His wife, Kathryn Campbell, said the cause of his death has not been specifically determined, but he developed sepsis following treatment for lymphoma.

Mrs. Campbell said her husband, who went by his middle name of Keith, had battled cancer five times; first a bout of prostate cancer and then four rounds of recurring lymphoma, the last of which showed up in his brain. Treatment for the final occurrence initially left him unable to swallow, talk, or move, but he had improved dramatically over time until he developed sepsis.

"He was a warrior," Mrs. Campbell said. "He fought so hard. He struggled and fought and he improved. I was so proud of him. He put in so much work. He got through it and was coming back to being whole again."

Mr. Campbell was born May 18, 1953, to Kenneth and Mary Ellen Campbell in Laredo, Texas. He graduated from Sylvania High School in 1971 and obtained a bachelor's degree from Bowling Green State University in accounting and finance in 1977.

He began working for the family business - Campbell, Inc., a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning company soon to be renamed Campbell Mechanical Services - as a laborer at 16 years old. In 1987, Mr. Campbell became the head of the company's new service department, and was later named president and chief executive in 1992.

His natural skill for mathematics and strategy served him very well over the years both in business and at home.

"He could play a game and be three moves ahead," Mrs. Campbell said.

As the company leader, he placed its primary emphasis on HVAC service, which became the driving force behind its successful growth.

"He could look at the future of the economy and predict what the company needed to do to grow in that future," Mrs. Campbell said.

By 2001, Mr. Campbell had helped the business grow from $2 million in annual revenue with 20 full-time employees in 1992 to $7.5 million annual revenue with 54 full-time employees. The company now has 80 full-time employees and additional locations in Findlay, Cleveland, and Ann Arbor.

"That was part of Keith's vision," Mrs. Campbell said.

Mr. Campbell was very well liked by employees and had an innate skill for dealing with people.

"He could make you feel like he cared more about you than anything else," Mrs. Campbell said. "The employees loved him, and he was kind of a father figure to quite a few. He had great compassion."

At home, he dedicated his life to his family and was unflappable.

"When things happened in the family, he would tell us, 'Plans are only made to be changed,'" Mrs. Campbell said. "He was very calm. He never got ruffled. He loved his children, would do anything for them."

He coached soccer, softball, and baseball for various summer league teams his children played in. He also enjoyed muscle cars and music. But Mr. Campbell's favorite pastime was boating, and the family spent many trips together traveling extensively on the Great Lakes.

"It was a great time, a great way to spend together-time with our family," Mrs. Campbell said. "It was a lot of work, but it was a great life."

Mr. Campbell was able to check off a bucket-list item a few years ago in traveling through the Trent-Severn Waterway in Canada, and his last boating trip was a six-week excursion in the Great Lakes.

He is survived by his wife, the former Kathryn Cook, whom he married Aug. 20, 1977; son Kenneth Kristopher Campbell; daughters Kelsey Campbell and Kari Christi; sister Katherine Blevins; five grandchildren; and three nieces and nephews.

Visitation was Sunday. A memorial service will be held at 6 p.m. Monday at the Witzler-Shank Funeral Home, 222 E. South Boundary St., Perrysburg.

The family suggests tributes to the Dr. Tycel Phillips Research Fund at the University of Michigan.

This is a news story by Alexandra Mester. Contact her at amester@theblade.com or 419-724-6066.