Roy Campbell

Roy E. Campbell, 97, passed away on February 10, 2026. He was born May 12, 1928 in Topeka, Kansas to Roy N. and Hazel L. (McCullough) Campbell. He married Sylvia J. DeSutter on July 5, 1964, at the Community Methodist Church in Manito, Illinois. He was preceded in death by his parents and one sister Shirley Ann.

He is survived by his wife Sylvia, two daughters: Kim (John) Votsmier of Springfield and Kelly (Keith) Kuchar of Chatham, one grandson Brandon (Chantel) Kuchar and one great-grandson Daxton Roy Kuchar of Chatham.

Roy grew up in Kansas and graduated from Salina (Kansas) high School in 1946 and Kansas Wesleyan University in 1950 with a B.S. in chemistry. He served in the U.S. Army from 1951-1953 during the Korean War. He worked as a chemist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Northern Regional Research Lab in Peoria, Illinois from 1954-1964 where he met his future wife, Sylvia. He was the Technical Director of the J.R. Short Milling Co., in Mt. Vernon, Indiana for eight years and then he was an Investigator for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for seventeen years, retiring in 1989.

He loved to travel. To him, traveling was always an adventure even in his later years. Roy visited all fifty states, and after retirement he and Sylvia took many overseas trips. He enjoyed photography, golf, bowling, pool and was a lifelong sports fan attending many motor races of all types and many professional golf tournaments. His favorite sports teams were the Chicago Bears, University of Illinois football and basketball and the St. Louis Cardinals. Roy was also very interested in cars, especially antique cars and he attended many car shows.

Cremation rites were accorded by Bisch Funeral Home West. A private burial will take place at Glendale Memorial Gardens in Pekin, Illinois. Memorial contributions may be made to the Animal Protective League or to the charity of your choice and condolences may be left at www.bischfuneralhomewest.com.