Rolland Alan Campbell, aged 84 years, passed away in Bakersfield, California, on Tuesday, May 25th, 2021.
He was the second son of Vernon Ray Campbell and Juniata Miller Campbell. He was born on April 2, 1937, at Porterville, California. His brothers are Roger Byron Campbell of Mapleton, Utah, and Douglas Grant Campbell of Burley, Idaho. He had no sisters. He attended Williams, Mt. Vernon, Longfellow and Washington Junior High in Bakersfield. He graduated from East Bakersfield High School in 1955. He attended Bakersfield College and Brigham Young University, graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in 1968. He also completed a Correspondence Course in Radio and TV Repairs. He married LaVelle Olivia Preszler, whom he met in Junior High School and dated in High School, on December 28, 1956, at the LDS Temple in Los Angeles, California. After he completed the course in Radio & TV Repair, he and his father had a Radio and TV Repair business for a short period of time. In the summer of 1960 he was drafted into the US Army. He did his basic training at Ft. Ord in California. Then he was sent to Ft. Bliss in El Paso, Texas. In the summer of 1961 he was sent to Korea and was there until September of 1962, when he was discharged from the Army. He worked at Transonic and then got a job with Kern County at Juvenile Hall and took classes at Bakersfield College until he decided to go back to BYU to get his Bachelor's Degree. He took a leave of absence from his job with Kern County, which worked out nicely for him because he could work during the summer and holiday seasons when he was not in college. After getting his Bachelor's Degree he was able to become a Juvenile Probation Officer with Kern County and worked there until his retirement in 1993.
Rolland was always a good athlete and played on the varsity basketball team at East Bakersfield High School in his junior and senior years. He was also very good in volleyball, handball, and racquetball. He played on church teams for many years. He and LaVelle also walked together, almost daily, for many years. He liked camping and being outdoors. He, LaVelle, and children enjoyed camping together and visited most of the western United States. He and LaVelle served a mission for their church from March 1997 to November 1998 in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the Family History Mission. He continued to do Family History Research for the rest of his life. In the year 2000 he and LaVelle traveled to Germany and toured the country with a couple that served with them on the mission in Salt Lake City. Rolland always had a wonderful sense of humor and would say humorous things often. He loved watching comedy and western movies, the Three Stooges, and at Christmas time, The Grinch. He had great integrity and kindness. He had a close relationship with his wife and grandchildren, his parents, his two brothers and their wives and other family members. He will be missed by many people.
He is survived by his wife of 64 years, LaVelle, and their children, Timothy, Karen (David) Reeves, Patrick, and Joanne Erb, 19 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and daughter, Carol Ann Bleich.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 12th, 2021, 10 AM, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 5600 Panorama Drive, Bakersfield, California. There will be no viewing. At 11:30 there will be a Veterans Ceremony at the grave site at Greenlawn Memorial Park, 3700 River Boulevard, Bakersfield, California, and the dedication of the grave. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to your favorite charities. We thank everyone for their kindnesses, sympathies and prayers.