Daniel Edward “Dan” “Danny” Campbell, age 68, passed away Sunday, May 24, 2026, at Mercy Health – St. Vincent Medical Center following a brief but courageous battle with cancer. His passing came just two months after the loss of his beloved wife, Joyce “Kay” Campbell, to the same illness. Though his daughters and family are heartbroken by the loss, there is comfort in knowing the two people who shared a love story for more than half a century are together once again.
Dan was born June 24, 1957, to Edward and Delores Weddington Campbell. He met the love of his life, Kay, while they were still young. Determined to start their life together, the two famously crossed state lines and stretched the truth about their ages so they could marry while Kay was only 17 years old. What started as young love became a lifelong partnership built on loyalty, devotion, laughter, and unwavering commitment. Together they shared 50½ years of marriage before Kay’s passing on March 30, 2026.
At just 17 years old, Dan was introduced to millwright work by his uncle, beginning a career that would define much of his life. He became a proud member of Millwrights & Pile Drivers Local 1871 and spent decades traveling wherever work called, specializing primarily in welding and difficult industrial jobs. Though small in stature, Danny earned a reputation as one of the hardest working men many people had ever known. The tight spaces, impossible angles, and toughest assignments usually found their way to him, and he handled them all with grit, skill, and determination.
While work often kept him away from home for extended periods, the time he spent with his family was always meaningful and memorable. Dan loved fishing trips, camping weekends, canoe adventures, racing around in the dune buggy, and teaching his daughters how to handle repairs on their own vehicles. He believed people should know how to fix things themselves, and he passed that knowledge along with patience and pride.
Outside of work, Danny rarely sat still. He enjoyed tinkering endlessly with motorcycles, four-wheelers, woodworking projects in his shop, and especially his beloved John Deere tractor, complete with every attachment and gadget imaginable. If something had a motor, wheels, or needed rebuilt, he was interested in it.
Dan was quiet by nature until someone got him laughing. He showed affection not through grand speeches, but through relentless teasing and giving nicknames to nearly everyone he loved, whether they were young children or grown adults. Beneath his stubborn streak was a deeply generous man who would help anyone in need without hesitation. He enjoyed old westerns, TV Land reruns, and the rock-and-roll music of the 1970s and 1980s, all simple comforts that suited him perfectly.
More than anything, Dan will be remembered as a devoted husband, hardworking provider, loving father and grandfather, and a man who built his life around taking care of the people he loved — usually with a joke, a nickname, and grease on his hands.
He is survived by daughters Angela (Jason) Murray and Amanda (Brad) Ritchie; grandchildren Nathaniel Murray, Kaitlynn Murray, Audriana Murray, Preston Ritchie, and Lance Ritchie; a great grandson Maverick; sister Patricia Younce, sister-in-law Deb (Ed) Secrist, nieces, nephews, many cousins and lifelong friend Ronald “Buck” Morrison.
Friends may call Friday, May 29, 2026 from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm in the Lexington Avenue Snyder Funeral Home. A graveside service will follow in Lexington Cemetery. Pastor Mike Wilson will officiate
Memorial donations in honor of Daniel may be made to the Richland County Dog Warden and Adoption Center.
Please visit snyderfuneralhomes.com to leave a message of support for the Campbell family.
Funeral Home: Lexington Avenue Snyder Funeral Home
Website: www.snyderfuneralhomes.com