Campbell,
Donald Ralph
Son of the late Fred and Pearl Campbell of
Foxboro, Ontario, beloved husband of Ruth, daughter of the late William and
Mabel Heron of Brooklin, Ontario. Father of Hugh (Darla) Stoney Creek,
Catherine (Hugh) Wakefield, PQ, Elizabeth (Don Mitchell) Brooklin, and
stepfather of Patricia Peterson (Eric), of Don Mitchell, and of Carolyn Hall
(Robert) Port Perry. Grandfather of Ian, Robert, Brian, Julia, Christopher,
Laura, Eric, Carrie, Shelley, Rachel, and Rebecca. Great grandfather of Eliot
and Victoria. Predeceased by first wife, Joy, in 1975.
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14.11.1918
on the family farm at Foxboro
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13.03.2008
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F/O
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? [Can/J.24406]
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F/Lt.
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?
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CM
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1986
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?
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DFC
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27.10.1944
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*
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DFC
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15.06.1945
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**
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* This officer has completed numerous sorties and
has invariably displayed a high degree of courage and devotion to duty. On one
occasion, in August, 1944, en route to the target, engine trouble developed.
Nevertheless, he went on to reach the target. Whilst over the sea on the
homeward flight the propeller of the defective engine flew off. It fouled a
second engine, rendering it useless. The aircraft could no longer be flown but
Flying Officer Campbell brought it down safely on to the sea. He displayed
resolution characteristic of that which he has shown throughout his tour of
duty.
** Since being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross this officer has
participated in numerous attacks against the enemy including the airborne
operations against Arnhem. In March, 1945, he took part in an airborne mission
east of the Rhine. When setting course over 'base the port inner engine
failed. Although the airspeed was affected. Flight Lieutenant Campbell
continued his mission and by skilful flying, maintained height and eventually
released his glider at the correct landing zone with the minimum loss of time.
His consistent good work together with his keenness and determination has set
a fine example to all.
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Education: Stirling High School (-1937); MA, LLD,
DCL, D Sc, F.A.I.C, FCAES
(1944)
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-
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(1945)
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196
Squadron RAF
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Upon graduation he became a full time farmer with
his parents for the next five years. The family farm became noteworthy for its
Holstein herd and for winning the provincial championship in oat production.
Ralph became volunteer organizer for Hastings County Farm Radio Forums and aided
four of them to found the Foxboro Co-operative, which still operates
successfully after 67 years, and he participated in creating the first Hastings
County Federation of Agriculture and its associated marketing boards. Ralph
enlisted as a pilot-in-training and subsequently was awarded the D.F.C and Bar
as an RAF bomber pilot after several life-threatening incidents in European
skies. On return to Canada he became a student at U of T (1946-49), then Rhodes
Scholar at Oxford (1949-51) and graduated with a 'first" from Balliol
College, Oxford. He became a Lecturer in the Dept of Ag Econ at OAC, Guelph, in
1951 and Professor and the Head of Department (1952-62). The Department of Ag
Econ became an integrated home of high quality members and developed a large and
stimulating graduate program. He was chosen as Hon Pres by three
"years" of students and counts many members of these years to be his
very closest friends. Beside exceptional friendship with members of year '57 and
'59, Ralph was a "people person" with friends in almost every county
in Ontario. He became Ford Foundation adviser to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
(1962-64) and acting leader of planning, backed by 15 energetic young Jordanian
economists fresh out of university. Seven years ago, on returning to Jordan he
found one of these "young men" he had hired in 1963 was now the
Minister of Finance, another was Minister of Transportation, another was CEO of
a major exporter, another had been ambassador to Kuwait for five years, etc.etc.
Ralph became Professor and Assoc Dean at U of Toronto (1964-70) and chairman of
the university discipline committee moderating between uncompromising exponents
of old and new views of education prevalent in the discordant years 1968-70. He
then became Ford Foundation adviser to Kenya (1970-72) where he became
"troubleshooter" for a new sugar factory which brought hope and
off-farm jobs to thousands of small holders of Western Province and which-wonder
of wonders- opened on the very day planned. The Mumias Sugar Factory became one
of his greatest achievements; it has since been expanded from the original
60,000 tons to 180,000 tons of sugar per year. Ralph returned to Canada as
Principal of Scarborough College of U of T (1972-76), and spear-headed the
creation of the first co-operative program of the U of T. He became President of
U of Manitoba for four happy years (1976-81), during which he initiated the
practice of holding convocations not only at the university but at five other
cities so that non-university relatives and local friends could see their young
people graduate. In 1981 he became Rockefeller Foundation adviser to Kenya and
created small local teams analyzing sectors of the economy and stocked with
newly graduated Kenyans. In 1984 he became Director, International Development
Office of AUCC (Association of Univ and Coll of Canada) Ottawa (1984-86) largely
devoted to assisting Canadian universities establish productive relations with
universities of the third world.. Thereafter, he was part time
consultant/adviser in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and author of the book
"We Flew by Moonlight" recounting his experience as a war-time pilot
ditching at night in the Channel and later being shot down on fire after bombing
the Ruhr Valley. A second book, "From Foxboro, Ontario" reviewed his
long life with special attention to his early years in a farm community. He was
President of the Agric Inst of Canada in 1960 and of the Can Ag Ec Society in
1959. He became a member of the Order of Canada in 1986. On June 8, 2008 he will
be inducted into the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame. One of Ralph's strongest
points is that he has always been a "people" person, a quality which
comes naturally to those growing up in a family like his and a community like
Foxboro. A devoted husband, father, grandfather, greatgrandfather, friend, he
will be sadly missed by his wife, Ruth, and many others.
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