Lawyer, community activist.
Born at Winnipeg on 18 September 1920, son of Arnold Munroe Campbell and Petrina Flora Isabel Wilson (1892-1974), he graduated from United College then attended the Manitoba Law School. He interrupted his education to serve in the Royal Canadian Artillery during the Second World War, participating in the D-Day invasion of Juno Beach. He later continued his affiliation with the Army as a Governor of the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires (Manitoba Division).
Returning to Manitoba after his military service, he completed his legal training and was called to the Manitoba Bar in 1947. He practiced successively with the firms of Kelly and Campbell; Campbell and Haig; Campbell Kelly and Mercury; and Aikins MacAulay and Thorvaldson. He was made a Queen’s Counsel (1960), was President (1960-1961) of the Manitoba Bar Association, President (1966-1967) and Life Bencher (1967-2014) of the Law Society of Manitoba, and President of the Canadian Bar Association (1970-1971). He retired from law practice in 2005.
He was a member of the Canadian Tax Founation and Independent Committee for the Review of the Office of the Auditor General of Canada; a Trustee for the Manitoba Law School, and assisted in having it become the Faculty of Law at the University of Manitoba. He served as President of the Society for Crippled Children and Adults of Manitoba (Society for Manitobans with Disabilities) and the Canadian Rehabilitation Council for the Disabled. He was a Director of the Manitoba Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation (CancerCare Manitoba), Deer Lodge Foundation for Geriatrics, and Winnipeg Habitat for Humanity Foundation.
As Chairman of the University of Manitoba’s Centennial Campaign, which oversaw construction of its Max Bell Centre, he received the Peter D. Curry Chancellor’s Award and an honorary Doctor of Laws (1977). He was also a charter member of the Advisory Council for St. John’s College Capital Campaign and received an honorary Doctor of Canon Law (1993). In recognition of his community service, he received a Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal (1977) and Distinguished Service Award from the Manitoba Bar Association (1992), and was inducted into the Order of Canada (1986).
On 18 January 1945, he married Kathleen F. Perkin at Moseley, Warwickshire, England and they had two daughters and two sons. He was a Life Member of the Manitoba Club, member and Honorary Solicitor for the Lord Selkirk Association of Rupert’s Land, and Honorary Life Member and President (1983-1984) of the St. Andrew’s Society of Winnipeg.
He died at Winnipeg on 15 January 2014 and was buried in the Old Kildonan Cemetery.
Birth registration, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
“Ten Manitobans on honors list,” Winnipeg Free Press, 31 December 1960, page 1.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 25 January 2014, page B13.
Obituary [Kathleen F. Campbell], Winnipeg Free Press, 29 October 2022.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 7 May 2023
Memorable Manitobans
This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.
Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:
Custom SearchBrowse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | ZBrowse deaths occurring in:
1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.caCriteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements
Help us keep
history alive!
