Floyd Campbell Obituary

Floyd Roland Campbell, Sr., AKA as "Spike", a lifelong NJ (71 years in Edison) resident, passed away peacefully on June 10, 2025 at Cedarbrook Fountain Hill Senior Care and Rehab (near Bethlehem, PA). Floyd was born on June 1, 1930 in Princeton, NJ. The oldest of 12 children, Floyd left school in 8th grade to work and help out with his younger siblings. He was proud to earn his GED years later in 1973. In October 1951, Floyd was registered for Selective Service and transferred to the U.S. Army Reserves Artillery Unit, stationed in Alaska (on the outskirts of Anchorage). His 2-year tour of duty included maintenance of airplane artillery and playing the bugle. During his time in the Army, Floyd began a pen-pal relationship with his future wife Harriette, prompted by his good friend Karl and her high school friend Edna. After being honorably discharged, Floyd returned home, met, started dating and later married Harriette on July 21, 1954, with both Karl and Edna at their sides. Settling in and buying a house in the Nixon Park section of Edison, NJ, they quickly started their family of 4 children. Floyd worked for Public Service Electric & Gas (formerly known as Central Gas Works) at its Edison plant for 38.74 years before retiring on June 20, 1987. In addition to working shifts at PSE&G, he held many part-time jobs as a carpenter, mason, mechanic, painter, and bus driver, just to name a few. His total years at PSE&G were just shy of 40 years, where he started at 14 years old shoveling coal tar, and earned his Black, Blue and RED seal boiler operator licenses, which advanced his career to his final position of compressor house operator. After living in Edison for 70 years, he and Harriette moved in with their son Walter and his family in Orefield, PA, in September 2024.
The "King of Collectibles" (rarely seeing a set of something he didn't want to buy), Floyd especially took great pride in his collection of Western belt buckles. He was a generous supporter of charities, an avid reader, and also enjoyed watching Westerns, war, and original James Bond 007 movies (starring Sean Connery), as well as comedy shows. He liked feeding their backyard birds and other animals (including their resident ground hogs), doing crossword and Word Search puzzles, playing games (Uno, Tri-Ominoes and Mexican Dominoes), Sunday morning "meet-ups" with friends at McDonald's, and puttering around his yard and three sheds. In his mid-years, his resemblance to President Gerald Ford often found women flocking around "Gerry". Floyd loved to eat, especially enjoyed his "snackies" and son-in-law Joe's cooking (as well as playing golf and going on annual golf outings to Virginia with him). Over the years, Floyd had gleefully munched his way through many a county fair.
Always up for a fun time, Floyd sailed the high seas to Caribbean ports on several cruises with the "Stu-Bums" (Edison Elks gang) and was rarely seen not wearing his favorite fashion statement, PLAID. Annual Plaid Parties (hosted by his daughter Sally and her husband Walt) held many fond memories of fun times, including his 80th birthday party.
Floyd was a great family man, taking his family on many outings and road trip vacations. There wasn't anything he wouldn't willingly do that his kids and grandkids asked him to do, including precarious toboggan rides and backyard monkeying around. He took enormous pleasure at watching his granddaughters' years-long rivalry to become "Poppy's favorite". His grandchildren and great-grandchildren brought him much joy and were guaranteed to put a smile on his face.
A little known fact about him: He still has all of his teeth, with little to no fillings and no invasive dental work. His father passed at 70 years, leaving his mother without income. As a family man with 4 children of his own, he continued to give his mother money until she passed away at age 92.
Floyd was a member of Edison Elks Lodge #2487, Edison Moose Lodge, and the American Legion Father & Son Post 435 in Edison. In earlier years, he was a skeet-shooting member of the American Sportsmen's Club of Old Bridge, NJ, and he and his wife were frequent patrons of the former Fireside Lounge on Route 1 in Edison. Floyd belonged to the PSE&G Steam & Pipefitters Local Union #855 in Somerville, NJ.
Floyd was predeceased by his parents, Floyd William Campbell and Sarah Jane (nee Denton) of Edison, NJ, as well as 5 siblings: Robert F. Campbell, Dorothy Tomori, Richard Campbell, and William "Woody" Campbell (all from Edison, NJ), and Doris Marie Fraind of PA, as well as several nephews, two nieces, and two great nephews.
As the long-time 95 year old patriarch of the Campbell Family, Floyd is survived by Harriette Campbell (his wife of almost 71 years) and his four children and their spouses: Floyd (& Cindy) Campbell, Jr. of Flemington, NJ; Harriette (& Joseph) Doll of Green Brook, NJ; Walter (& Trudie) Campbell of Orefield, PA; and Sally Campbell of Edison, NJ; as well as 7 grandchildren and their spouses: Kelly (& Nicholas Slover) of Cape Coral, FL, Raymond of Brick, NJ, Carrie (& Nathan Lindberg) of Springfield, NJ, Floyd III (& Amber) of Glen Gardner, NJ, Carolyn (& Tim Duclos) of Dorset, VT, Hanna (& fiancé John Bacchus) of Long Island City, NY, Walter, Jr. of Orefield, PA, and "adopted" granddaughter Jessica Ricevuto of Green Brook, NJ. Floyd is also survived by 9 great-grandchildren (Joshua, Alex, Patrick, Lily, Colleen, Reagan, Meredith, Tess and Evey), as well as his 6 remaining siblings and their spouses: Charles (& Bernie) Campbell, Jack (& Doris) Campbell, and Carl Campbell, all of Edison; Walter "Butchie" Campbell of Gastonia, NC; Kenneth Campbell of Whiting, NJ; Douglas Campbell of North Brunswick, NJ, as well as sister-in-law Toni Campbell of Edison. Floyd also leaves behind several cousins, many nieces/nephews, great-nieces/nephews, as well as friends and neighbors, who will greatly miss him and his sense of humor. He was a favorite among his Compassionate Care Hospice staff while in New Jersey and quickly became a favorite with his Hospice Staff in Pennsylvania as well.
If you prefer, in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to any of the following:
Boys Town 14100 Crawford Street Boys Town, NE 68010
Happy Paws Rescue 1333 Centennial Avenue Piscataway, NJ 08854
St. Joseph's Indian School 1301 North Main Street Chamberlain, SD 57325
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (online) Online donations can be made to any of these charities.