Obituary of Robert "Bob" Campbell

Robert Douglas Campbell

“Bob”

January 29, 1937- March 20, 2025

(Proud Dairy Farmer of White Lake)

Robert Douglas Campbell passed away Thursday March 20, 2025 at the age of 88. For 60 years he shared his life with Carole Campbell (Moorhead). Much loved and respected “Dad” to Lesa, James (Julie) and Jill (Jason). Proud grandfather to Jayde (Bradley), Faithe (Lucas), Cole (Hannah), Kira and Robbie. Predeceased by brother Bernard Campbell (Louva). Brother to Earle and Dale Campbell. Son of the late R.J. and Nan Campbell. Bob will be missed by many nieces, nephews, cousins and many good friends. Bob’s arrangements have been entrusted to the Boyce Funeral Home Ltd., 138 Daniel Street N., Arnprior. A family graveside service will take place at the White Lake Community Cemetery at a later date. At the wishes of the family there will be a celebration of life at the family farm, 593 Campbell Side Road, White Lake, Sunday March 23, 2025 from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. In memory of Bob, plant a garden.

What is a Farmer?

A farmer is a paradox...he is an overall executive, with his home, his office; a scientist using fertilizer attachments; a purchasing agent in an old straw hat; a personnel director with grease under his fingernails; a dietician with a passion for alfalfa, amines, and antibiotics; a production expert with a surplus, and a manager battling a price-cost squeeze. He manages more capital than most of the businessmen in town.
He likes sunshine, good food, Fall Fairs, dinner at noon, auctions, his neighbours, his shirt collar unbuttoned and, above all, a good soaking rain in August.  
He is not much for droughts, ditches, throughways, experts, weeds, the eight-hour day, grasshoppers or helping with housework.
Farmers are found in fields....plowing up, seeding down, rotating from, planting to, fertilizing with, spraying for, and harvesting. Wives help them, little boys follow them, the Agriculture Department confuses them, city relatives visit them, salesmen detain them and wait for them, weather can delay them, but it takes Heaven to stop them.  A farm is both faith and fatalist...he must have faith to meet the challenges of his capacities amid an overpresent possibility that an Act of God (a late spring, an early frost, tornado, flood, drought) can bring his business to a standstill. You can reduce his acreage but you can't restrain his ambition. Might as well put up with him...he is your friend, your competitor, your customer, your source of food, fiber, and self-reliant young citizens to help replenish your cities. He is your countryman...a denim-dressed, business-wise, fast-growing, stateman of stature. And when he comes in at noon, having spent the energy of his hopes and dreams, he can be recharged anew with the magic words: "The market's up."