The Honorable Robert Maurice Campbell

Robert Maurice Campbell died peacefully at his ranch on Sunday, February 2, 2025. 

Justice Campbell will lie in state at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home from Thursday, February 6, until visitation begins on Friday, February 7, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 8, in the Chapel of Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home, and burial will follow at Oakwood Cemetery. 

Justice Campbell was born on March 1, 1935, in Waco, Texas, and grew up on Pancake Mountain near Jonesboro (Coryell County). He attended public school and graduated from Jonesboro High School in 1952. 

On August 15, 1959, Judge Campbell married Theresa “Terry” Nadine Mancil of Ft. Worth. Justice Campbell and Theresa had three daughters: Karen, Sharon, and Diane. They were married for 49 years until Theresa’s passing on May 13, 2008. 

Justice Campbell served two terms of active duty with the U.S. Army, the last during the Berlin Crisis in 1961. He completed ten years of active and reserve military duty as a company commander of the Texas National Guard unit in Gatesville, Texas. 

He attended Texas Tech University and Arlington State University, finally earning his Bachelor of Arts from Texas Wesleyan College in Ft. Worth in 1958. Upon graduation, he taught 7th and 8th grade history in Copperas Cove. During this time, he built houses on the side. 

Two years later, Justice Campbell began attending Baylor School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctorate Degree in 1964. Justice Campbell took the bar exam while still in law school. Thinking the experience would help him, he said, “I’ll do well on it when I take it next time.” There was no next time, as he made the third-highest grade in the state. Upon obtaining his law license, Justice Campbell joined the Dunnam & Dunnam law practice and later became a partner, where he engaged in trial and appellate practice for 14 years until being elected to the Texas Supreme Court. 

Justice Campbell served on the Texas Supreme Court from 1978 to 1988. During his 10 years on Texas’ highest civil appellate court, he authored more than 150 opinions dealing with a wide range of topics. Justice Campbell retired as Senior Justice of the Texas Supreme Court in January 1988. After his retirement from the Court, Justice Campbell was sought for consultation by lawyers throughout the state and worked as co-counsel on a number of significant cases. He was also one of the founding partners of the Campbell-Cherry-Harrison-Davis Law Firm. 

Since childhood, Justice Campbell had a love for agriculture. Not only was this a revenue stream for him, but more importantly, it was his hobby. He lived and breathed farming and ranching. With the endless and tireless help of his ranch manager and his wife, Clint and Wendy Murphy, his beloved ranch grew to be one of the largest ranching operations in Central Texas at one time. In 2010, Justice Campbell was named Conservation Rancher of the Year by the McLennan County Soil and Water Conservation District. 

In addition to his roles as Justice and rancher, Justice Campbell served on many organizations in his community and received numerous recognitions. He was named Distinguished Alumnus by Texas Wesleyan in 1982 and Baylor’s Lawyer of the Year in 1986. He was recently recognized as a 50-plus-year member of the Karem Shriners and was a lifelong member of the Methodist Church. 

From his humble beginnings as a boy from Pancake Mountain to serving on the highest court in the State of Texas and becoming one of the largest ranchers in Central Texas, Justice Campbell never lost sight of his roots, which shaped him into the man he was. In his trademark boots, jeans, and cowboy hat, he was many things to many people. He treated anyone who crossed his path with dignity and fairness, regardless of the circumstances. He was a straight-talking, colorful, creative legal mind, lifelong cowboy, lover of the land, and a prolific poet. 

Of his many loves, his greatest was family. He valued his role as son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. Of all his titles, his greatest was that of “Dad.” His greatest loves were his daughters, Karen, Sharon, and Diane. His unconditional love and support for his girls were paramount in every decision he made in his adult life. He made it his mission, through hard work, to ensure his girls were provided for in life and in death. He was a wonderful father who left many great memories that will be forever cherished. 

Justice Campbell was preceded in death by his wife, Theresa Mancil-Campbell; parents, Alex and Gladys Campbell; and brother, Tony Campbell. 

Justice Campbell is survived by his children: Karen Shupe and husband Tom, Sharon Campbell and partner Jennifer, and Diane Bollinger and husband Charles; eight grandchildren: Jordan, Shelby, Mason, Marlie, Aiden, Von, Macy, and Faith; and one great-grandchild: Parker. He is also survived by his sisters, Patricia Campbell and Bette McCorkle; and many nieces and nephews. 

Pallbearers will be Jordan Hurlburt, Mason Campbell, Aiden McGaugh, Von McGaugh, Ritchie Kuenstler, Dean McCorkle, and Paul Campbell. 

The family invites you to share a memory or message online in Justice Campbell’s “Memorial Guestbook” at www.WHBfamily.com.