Kathy Lee Campbell, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, passed away at Doughtery House, Sioux Falls, SD, into the loving arms of Jesus, Friday July 31st, 2026. Kathy was surrounded by her sisters, Anne, Sue and Barbara and her niece, Megan, at the time of her death.

Visitation will begin at 5:30 pm with a prayer service at 7:00 pm on Thursday, August 6, 2026 at Miller Funeral Home (Southside Location) 7400 S. Minnesota Ave, Sioux Falls, SD. A private family interment will be held at St. Michael Cemetery, Sioux Falls, SD.

Click here to watch live at 6:45 pm.

Kathy was born to Calvin and Kathryn Campbell on Feb. 2, 1954.  She was the second daughter for Cal and Kay. Kathy was followed by 3 more sisters and a brother. Kathy was a beautiful baby and child with a head of thick ,dark, auburn hair and blue eyes.

Kathy spent her early years in St. Cloud, Minnesota and Minneapolis Minnesota. Kathy attended St. Helen's until the 4th grade. The family moved to New Hope, Minnesota in 1964, where Kathy attended New Hope Elementary and Hosterman Junior High.

Kathy moved with her parents to Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 1974, when her family opened Carousel Skate. At that time, Kathy became a client at Sioux Vocational School.  She spent the next 52 years of her life working and living with the agency that evolved into Lifescape South Dakota. She made numerous friends there, who became family to her. Many staff members over the years have whispered in my ear, "Kathy is my favorite.", because she was so loving and sweet.

Kathy liked to color and spent long hours in her room, happily coloring princesses. She loved to watch Andy Griffith on tv and watched The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins and Cinderella on loop. She loved having her hair done and nails painted purple.

She loved to dress pretty every day, wrapped in lavender and light teal from head to toe. She loved wearing watches and making beaded jewelry.  She made the best cards for her family and friends, filled with loving thoughts.

Kathy was one of those people who walk among us on this earth to help us all become better people. She taught us to be gentle and kind, to be patient and compassionate and to love joyfully with a child-like spirit. She taught us to accept people as they are.

She loved the color purple and "second" as she said, rose pink.  She loved the Vikings and had many Vikings shirts.  She loved her small dogs. Pepper, a small terrier, who she loved in her teens, Ivy, a white bichon, who she loved in her 50s, and Violette, Autumn and Pearl, daschunds, who she loved in her 60s and 70s.

Kathy spoke often about missing her parents and her sister Judy. She had great faith in God and pictured them in heaven. When she was having a hard day, we would pray the Hail Mary and the Our Father prayers.  It calmed her down. Every night, she would say "Night Night!", and make kissing noises on the phone, followed by "Don't forget to say your prayers! I love you!" We will forever remember the phone calls, everyday at 6pm, (and a few more before that in a day,)  just to say I love you.  The scraggly voice on the phone singing Happy Birthday first thing to us on our birthdays.  And singing along with her to Mary Poppins and the Sound of Music.

Kathy loved her birthday and always wanted a two-story white cake with rose pink flowers, "cream" frosting and an entire paragraph written on the top of it.  Kathy loved flowers.  She loved receiving them and spending the day in the backyard of her sister Judy Horan's flower garden.  She loved being pampered, especially by Judy, who would also make her favorite oatmeal raisin cookies with her while she was there.

In 2005 Kathy was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Upon hearing her diagnosis, the first words out of her mouth were, "I'm going to beat this!"  Her positive attitude was amazing during her treatment.  She made the nurses cry when she would thank them for giving her chemo. Kathy's stoic behavior during cancer treatment was inspirational to her 3 sisters and niece, Kelly, who were also later diagnosed with breast cancer. She never complained during treatment and was only concerned if she could get a Diet Coke on the way home from the hospital.

Her love for Diet Coke was never wavering. Ever. She loved going to Dairy Queen for the cheeseburger meal and getting a caramel sundae with a Diet Coke.  When you came to see her the first thing she asked was "Did you bring me a Diet Coke?" If the answer was no she would say "Let's go for a ride."  (To Dairy Queen)

God gave us a great gift to be chosen to be her family and walk through this life with her.  She will always be the most influential person in our family, because although she changed our lives simply by being herself, she changed our children's lives, too, and now our grandchildren's lives, by her example of being a pure, genuine, loving soul.

Kathy leaves behind her sisters, Anne Erickson, Sue Campbell, Barbara Rohlck and her husband Jason Rohlck, brother in law Gale Horan, 16 nieces and nephews and 22 great nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her father and mother, her sister Judy Horan and her brother Steven Campbell.

We have no doubt she is in heaven with them and the many who love her and have gone before her. Free at last of her earthly constraints. It must have been amazing. We will miss her beyond words. Heaven will shine a little brighter from now on with her in it.