John Raymond Campbell

Dr. John Raymond Campbell of Crofton, Md, age 82, passed away at Heart Homes at Piney Orchard in Odenton, MD, on Sept 17, 2023, due to complications from a nine-year battle with Lewy body Parkinson’s.

He is survived by Deirdre, his wife of 56 years, and by daughter Sheila, also of Crofton; and several cousins.

John was born in the Bronx on April 10, 1941, to Raymond and Irene (Widmayer) Campbell.  He graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School and received his bachelor of science in math from Queens College.  In 1965, he moved to Washington, D.C., to begin a 42-year career with the federal government, during which time he worked at several agencies--including Goddard Space Flight Center, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Defense--as a digital computer programmer, systems designer and engineer, and a security systems researcher.  John received numerous awards and commendations for his outstanding service.  During the 1960s, he served for six years in the National Guard.  In 1972, he moved to Crofton, and became a member of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish.

During his lifetime, John fulfilled his passion for learning by earning five degrees, including a PhD in statistics and a law degree.  During the late 1980s and early 1990s, he was on the adjunct faculty at University of Maryland, Baltimore, and University of Maryland at College Park, where he taught computer security.  In addition to education, he loved traveling, collecting scouting and military memorabilia, and staying abreast of the technology field even after retirement by reading scientific journals.  John contributed to several charities, including Habitat for Humanity, Sierra Club, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the Discalced Carmelite Nuns.  He will be remembered by his family and friends as an intelligent, friendly, fun, and adventurous person.

Visitation at Beall Funeral Home in Bowie will take place Tuesday, September 26, 2023 from 2-4pm.  A funeral Mass will be held at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Crofton on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 at 11am, followed by a reception at the Fr. Connelly Parish Center.  Interment will take place on Thursday, September 28, 2023 at 1pm at Lakemont Memorial Gardens in Davidsonville.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests those who wish to express sympathy to consider making a donation to the University of Maryland Statistics Program: https://stat.umd.edu or to the Parkinson’s Foundation: https://www.parkinson.org.

The funeral will be live streamed at https://www.facebook.com/SetonLiveStream