John Frederick Campbell was born on July 1, 1943 in La Jolla, California. Campbell has four children: Brandi, Kimberly, Johnna, and Keawe'.
Campbell was an engineer and mining superintendent for Reynolds Electric and Engineering Company (REECo) and as a government employee at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) for a combined 27 years. He was involved in the planning and construction of many tunnels that were used for atomic testing.