Obituary: Bill Campbell

As received from the Pearce Funeral Home:

Bill (Dr Wilbur H) Campbell died unexpectedly at home early on 30 Jan 2022. He was born in 1945 in Santa Ana, CA and earned his PhD in Biochemistry from UW Madison in (1972). A series of post-doctoral positions in different parts of the country led to a faculty appointment in the Dept of Chemistry at the State Univ of New York College of Environmental Science & Technology. He met and married Ellen in Syracuse in 1981, and they moved to the Keweenaw in 1985 when he became the biochemistry professor at MI Tech. In 1993, the Campbells decided to try to bring the discoveries of Bill’s academic research out into the world with new products for testing water quality. NECi, in Lake Linden, was one of the first biotech companies in Michigan. NECi’s products for nitrate testing won USEPA method approval in 2017. They are made in Lake Linden and sold to customers worldwide.

Bill’s step-daughter Lisa Carne works on coral restoration in Belize. His brother’s family are settled downstate, from Detroit to Ann Arbor. Sister Jeanette Merki and family are in Kirkland, WA.

Bill loved trees, birds, wildlife, cats, bears, and peace. The beauty of the area kept the Campbells here in the UP, despite the winters. Neither of us care much for ceremonies, and none are planned. We want to thank the area medical community for doing their best to keep Bill as comfortable and functional as possible during the past years. Please send memorials, if desired, to area organizations engaged in preservation of natural beauty.

The Pearce Funeral Home in Lake Linden is in charge of arrangements.