Campbell Boat Owners Website

We are saddened to report the passing of Campbell Boats Owner Bob Whelan. Bob has been a strong figure in the Lake Havasu community from the purchase of the Campbell boats manufacturing, service and storage facility in the early 70's, all the way up to his tenure as mayor of Lake Havasu City.

The following news story is from the Lake Havasu News-Herald dated September 23rd, 2008

Bob and Judy Whelan played host to friends and fellow

business people during the grand opening of their new

Campbell Boats building in July.

Former mayor Bob Whelan dies at 69

By David Bell Tuesday, September 23, 2008 10:45 PM MST

Former Lake Havasu Mayor Robert “Bob” Whelan died Monday from what his wife Judy described as “a galloping infection,” “He was at work (last) Monday, came back and wasn’t feeling good. On Tuesday we took him to the hospital, and they wanted to air-evacuate him to Las Vegas but he couldn’t fit in the helicopter,” Judy said. “So they put him in the fixed-wing and took him to Sunrise Hospital. We spent the week there until he died last night.” Judy said the investigation into the cause of death is complete, and Whelan’s body was cremated in Las Vegas. Whelan, 69, was the long-time owner of Campbell Boats, having purchased the custom boat manufacturer from the Campbell brothers in 1973. Almost immediately, he introduced innovation to the company, expanding the line to include mid-sized watercraft. He also maintained the tradition of Campbell Boat owners as a close-knit group, hosting the annual Campbell Boat Regatta under the London Bridge each year. And he expanded the business last year, constructing a new dealership facility and more boat storage space. Campbell Boats’ Gary McDade said Whelan not only treated his customers like friends, he made his employees feel like family. “He was a lot more than a business owner to us, his employees. A lot more,” McDade said. Judy said the family intends to “carry on” with the business. “We’ve been blessed with employees that are loyal to us, and they know how much they mean to us,” she said. Whelan formed the Lake Havasu Marine Association 17 years ago, and Marine Association Executive Director Jim Salscheider said Whelan’s presence and experience in the industry would be hard to replace. “He currently is vice president and was slated to be president next year. He leaves a big hole in the marine industry,” Salscheider said. “I’ve known Bob since I’ve been in town, 27 years,” said Bill Draper, president of the Marine Association. “We definitely looked up to him in the Marine Association and as one of the leaders of the town. He got the dealers to work together, to do more for the industry and the town.” In addition to the Marine Association, Whelan held leadership positions with the Lake Havasu Area Chamber of Commerce in 1993, the Lake Havasu City Partnership for Economic Development and was elected mayor in 2002. “He was a good man, he did a lot for this community. He is going to be very dearly missed,” said Don Clark, who served with Whelan on City Council. Whelan served until 2005, until he and three other members of the council were recalled from office. L.J. Frink/News-Herald File Photo. Bob and Judy Whelan played host to friends and fellow business people during the grand opening of their new Campbell Boats building in July. “We always saw each other socially and got along. Unfortunately, we sort of ended up on opposite sides politically. But we never said anything disparaging about each other,” said Harvey Jackson, the man that replaced Whelan as mayor. “He was a pioneer, and I’m very sorry to hear of his passing.” Although excessive spending at city hall, the ongoing sewer project and communication with the public was cited as reasons for the recall, no specifics were even given. "Clearly the voters have spoken. I'm really disappointed after thousands of hours of hard work that things ended this way," Whelan said following the recall election. During his time as mayor, Whelan was instrumental in keeping the Colorado River Regional Sewer Coalition moving forward and on the minds of Congress when a $1.5 million earmark for Lake Havasu City by U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., was approved. He also lobbied to get annual funding for CRRSCo, which would be used by cities along the Colorado River for local sewer projects. Lake Havasu City Mayor Mark Nexsen said he’ll not only miss Whelan’s leadership but also his laughter. “I’ve known him for many years, he had a great sense of humor. In fact, we participated together in the Hoop-it-Up (basketball competition on Main Street in 2007) as the long and short of it,” said the 5-foot 4-inch Nexsen. “Our thoughts and prayers go to Judy and the family.” The 6-foot 10-inch Whelan played Pac-10 basketball for the Stanford Cardinal while earning his undergraduate degree in engineering. He also earned a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School He’s survived by Judy and two daughters, Laura and Amy. There will be no formal services, but an informal gathering for Whelan’s many friends will take place this weekend. “He didn’t want any services, so we’re going to get together at Campbell Boats Sunday at 1 p.m. for Bob’s favorites: boats, burgers and beer,” Judy said.

The following news story is from the Lake Havasu News-Herald dated September 29th, 2008

Nearly 500 friends and family members turned up Sunday at Campbell Boats "Burgers, Boats and Beer”