Lafayette Leroy Campbell

Lafayette Leroy Campbell, 93, of Waco, Texas passed away on December 25, 2025, at his home surrounded by loving family. Leroy was born on March 4, 1932 in Brandon, Texas. He was a devoted husband to Frances Wyatt Campbell and a loving father to Betsy, Stephen, and Lesia.

After Frances’ death, he found love again and married Doris Engholm. He continued the joy of parenting by joining her in raising her two young children Robin & Robert Engholm as his own.

Leroy was a hard-working and dedicated man. He worked several jobs, one being at Lone Star Gas Company before he began work with the City of Waco. During his 26-year career, he became Traffic Superintendent for the City of Waco. While serving as Traffic Superintendent he joined the organization of International Municipal Signal Association. He became very involved and held many offices in this organization. In addition to holding executive offices, Leroy served as the educational director. As director he started the first educational training group for municipal traffic engineers and superintendents in the nation. The initial meetings were held annually at the current TSTC campus with great success. Despite many responsibilities Leroy always made time for his family and the many activities his children participated in.

He was a loving parent with poignant fatherly advice, insightful wisdom, and a quick sense of humor that often caught people off guard. He was a man of kindness, integrity, and generosity who considered strangers as friends he just hadn’t met yet. After he got to know a person, they often received a new humorous nickname given to them with love. Leroy left a lasting impact on everyone who knew him.

Leroy enjoyed dancing (especially square dancing), reading westerns, crossword puzzles, word searches and wordplay, and “brain games” on computers. His love of these interests resulted in many “Dad-isms” as we used to call them, as he sprinkled them throughout our conversations. Those moments always made us smile.

Learning to do new things was a delight to him. At the age of 79, he received his first computer and later began taking keyboard lessons at age 82. Leroy was always ready for the next new thing. Singing brought him great joy, and he began singing solos at church at the age of 91. He also took up Tai Chi at 93 years old. He enjoyed being with his friends at the weekly Thursday morning breakfast with the CMBC (Classic Men’s Breakfast Club) as well as the Men’s Saturday Breakfast at Grace Temple Baptist Church.

We thank Dale Smith and Harold Armstrong for ensuring Dad’s attendance at CMBC by providing his transportation with friendship and a caring spirit. Leroy loved the Lord and served his church community and rarely missed church service. He showed us every day what it meant to walk the life of a Christian at all times.

Leroy was preceded in death by his parents, Aaron Nelson Campbell and Ruby Bell Williamson; wives, Frances Wyatt, Doris Engholm, and Mary Calhoun; along with son, Stephen (Gooch) Campbell; brothers, Aaron Campbell, Nelson Campbell, and Larry Neagle; and sister, Marcia Martin.

He is survived by his daughters, Betsy Fanning and Lesia McGee; stepchildren (whom he claimed as his own), Robin Lyons (husband, Joe) and Robert “Shane” Engholm; sisters, Nancy Sherrard and Christine “Chris” Mitchell (husband, Ray "Mitch"); 8 grandchildren; 22 great grandchildren; 4 great-great grandchildren at last count; as well as many friends and extended family members who will miss him dearly.

We would like to thank all of the church members, especially Brother Buddy Sipe, Joey Johnson and Jason Featherston for their dedication to Dad and standing with our family.

Celebration of Life service will be held on January 10, 2025, at 10:30am, Grace Temple Baptist Church, 3825 Bosque Boulevard, Waco, Texas. Online photos and copy of obituary can be found on the OakCrest Funeral Home website. Our family takes comfort that our Dad is celebrating the joy of being in Heaven, in the presence of the Lord. If we could ask him today how he is doing, most likely he would say, as he used to tell us, “I’m finer than a frog’s hair split four ways.”

In lieu of flowers, the family ask donations to be made to Grace Temple Baptist Church. This church and community were very close to Dad‘s heart. We know that Dad’s legacy lives on in the lessons he taught us through his interactions with others, the love he shared, and the memories we will cherish forever.