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Tailgating and Family Time

While rushing Delta Kappa Epsilon at Rutgers University in the late 1960's, David O. Campbell dived under a table to escape a food fight at lunch. He bumped into John Albohm down there, stuck out his hand, and introduced himself. They bonded. "A friendship ensued of great proportions," Mr. Albohm said.

Mr. Campbell, 51, a senior vice president at Keefe, Bruyette and Woods, was a loyal friend who called Mr. Albohm at least once a week for more than three decades. He never lost his fun-loving side, and organized an annual tailgate party for his fraternity brothers. He still liked to drink beer and hang out with the guys. As a grown-up, he once climbed onto a luggage carousel at Newark International Airport to spin around for laughs.

But Mr. Campbell always saved his Sunday nights for his wife, Cindy, and their two sons, Chip and Tim. The family would cook on the grill at home in Basking Ridge, N.J., and catch up on the week. "Dave was an interesting combination," said his friend and brother-in-law, Fred Anthony. "He was the ultimate party animal and family man."

Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on December 11, 2001.


David O. Campbell taught his two sons all too well how to play golf. Within a few years they were thrashing their old man on the links. But Campbell didn't care, said his wife, Cindy.

"He was happy," she said. "He loved hanging out with the boys, and all the boys' friends. We have many boys (in the neighborhood) who consider him the dad."

Campbell, 51, of Basking Ridge, N.J., began his career as an accountant, but he was no stereotypical bean counter. He was outgoing, playful and athletic, swimming for his high school and college teams, playing golf and tennis, taking the family on ski trips.

He eventually switched careers, selling bank stocks for Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, a financial services firm with offices in the World Trade Center.

Cindy Campbell said family and friends are trying to keep Campbell's social spirit alive.

"Now (neighborhood boys) are hanging out and he's not here," she said. "We're all thinking how weird it is. It's like we want Dave to walk around the corner with a beer in his hand."
Profile courtesy of THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE.

David Campbell, 51, talented swimmer

David Otey Campbell of Basking Ridge liked to credit his teammates for supporting him in the years he swam for Westfield High School and Rutgers University in New Brunswick.

An accomplished breast-stroker, tennis player and golfer, Mr. Campbell nonetheless endured good-natured teasing from his teenage sons, who chided him for not participating in a more "macho" sport. The 51-year-old Mr. Campbell, who worked for Keefe, Bruyette and Woods as a senior vice president of equity sales, took the 5:35 a.m. train from Basking Ridge into Manhattan on Sept. 11. Like a number of other New Jersey residents who worked at the World Trade Center, he did not come home that evening.

"The boys play ice hockey and lacrosse and they would tease him," said Mr. Campbell's wife of 29 years, Cindy. "He would tell them his sport (swimming) was the only one that could save your life."

Mr. Campbell was born in New York City and grew up in Westfield, although he lived for about three years with his family in Venezuela. When they returned to the United States, the family settled in Westfield, where Mr. Campbell met his future wife.

"It had to be in junior high school," she said. "We were all part of a big group and would trade boyfriends and girlfriends."

From Westfield High, he went to Rutgers, where he graduated in 1972 with a degree in economics. He received an MBA in accounting from Rutgers-Newark.

Mr. Campbell worked for Keefe, Bruyette and Woods for the past 15 years. Before that, he worked for Deloitte and Touche for 12 or 13 years.

Mr. Campbell was active in Basking Ridge community affairs. He was treasurer of the Somerset Hills Soccer Club for a number of years before taking over as president of the Ice Hockey Boosters for the Delbarton School, where his sons, Chip, 18, and Timmy, 16, attend high school.

"He was a sideline parent who taught his kids to play golf. He had been saying in the last couple of years that his kids were shooting in the 70s and 80s while he was still in the 90s," said his wife. He was an active parishioner and volunteer at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Basking Ridge.

Since the Twin Towers disaster, Cindy Campbell said Westfield friends from their earliest days as well as the Delbarton community and family members have been at their side. "We have the deepest thanks to give to our friends and family," she said, adding her husband's commitment to those very same individuals is something for which he will always be loved and remembered.

In addition to his wife and sons, Mr. Campbell is survived by his parents, Jane and Bev Campbell of Tampa, Fla., and two sisters, Mary Ann Anthony of Westfield and Barbara Jean McKee of Memphis, Tenn.

A Mass of the Resurrection will be offered at 7 p.m. tomorrow at St. Mary's Abbey, Delbarton School, 230 Mendham Road, Morris Township.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Campbell Boys' Educational Fund, c/o John W. Albohm Esq., 141 Dayton St., Ridgewood, NJ 07450, or The American Red Cross New York Relief Fund, P.O. Box 97089, Washington, D.C., 20013.

Profile by Susan Alai published in THE STAR-LEDGER.