Daniel Campos-Lopez, CMSgt

Daniel Campos-Lopez, CMSgt, USAF (retired) age 86, of Lake Saint Louis, MO, born Tuesday, December 3, 1935, in Santurce, Puerto Rico, died Tuesday, September 13, 2022, at St. Joseph’s Hospital West in Lake Saint Louis, MO.

Daniel started his military career when he joined the U.S. Army in 1953. He was in the Quartermaster Service which handled all non-combatant supplies for the Army troops. They met on weekends for training and exercises, and went to camp several times a year for up to a month at a time.

He joined the U.S. Air Force in February 1957, and after spending a few months at Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico, he was sent to basic training at Lackland AFB, Texas. After basic training he was sent to Aircraft Electrical School at Chanute AFB, Illinois.

After finishing school, his first assignment was to Tyndall AFB, Florida where he worked on the electrical systems of fighter aircraft. He was also assigned to the battery shop which he described as “a messy job, dirty and smelly because of the fumes”. It was so bad he actually wanted to leave the Air Force after 4 years.

However, when he married his first wife “Gerry”, he decided to stay in the Air Force, and was offered to retrain into Air Traffic Control Maintenance. He worked in that field for the rest of his Air Force career and was stationed in Viet Nam, Puerto Rico (Ramey AFB), New Jersey (McGuire AFB), Iran, and Korea. His last duty station was at Scott AFB, Illinois where he retired as a Chief Master Sergeant in 1988. It was also the same year his wife Gerry passed away.

After retirement, Daniel eventually remarried, and together, he and Linda started their own Prison Ministry. Daniel used his bilingual skills to preach the Word of God in the prison. He had an amazing singing voice and made a recording of several songs that he sang in Spanish and in English. He and Linda also sang together at several churches, lifting up the name of Jesus. He was kind to everyone he met, was always encouraging, and lifted many to the Lord in prayer.

He was preceded in death by his:

• First wife, Geraldine D., nee Kite, Campos
• Father, Daniel Campos-Figueroa
• Mother, Carmen M., nee Lopez- Baez, Campos-Lopez
• Sister, Esther Campos-Cortes
• Brother, Samuel Campos-Lopez

Surviving are his:

• Wife, Linda Mae, nee Rosencrans, Campos of Lake Saint Louis, MO
• Children:
  • Daniel O. (Ruth) Campos of Belleville, IL
  • Roy E. (Connie) Campos of Highland, IL
  • Susan (Rob) Pochek of VA
• Step-daughter, Alicia (Dwight) Schwebke
• Step-son, Mark Baker (Mark Cornelius)
• Sisters:
  • Carmen Ruth Campos of Puerto Rico
  • Aixa (Jeff) Malley of Puerto Rico
• Grandchildren:
  • Sean Daniel
  • Mélodie
  • Benjamin
  • Samantha
  • David
  • Jessica
• Step-grandchildren:
  • Susanna (Christopher) Bradford
  • Jeremiah (Rachel) Barnes
  • Aaron (Alexandra) Barnes
• Great-granddaughter, Sophie Ritz-Campos
• Step-great grandchildren:
  • Rosemarie Lynn Mosley
  • Gregory Daniel Mosley
  • Thomas Allen Barnes
  • Elijah Daniel Barnes
• Many dear nieces, nephews and cousins

Memorial donations are suggested to the American Cancer Society.

Visitation will be at First Baptist Church in Fairview Heights, IL on Monday, November 21, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. followed by a memorial service at 11 a.m.

Funeral: Funeral procession will leave at 12:15 pm from First Baptist Church in Fairview Heights, IL on Monday, November 21, 2022 to Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis, MO.