Family calls man avid Harlem fan
Hugh Camp was committed to wildlife preservation and was a man known for his smile, friends and family said last week.
Camp died Dec. 1 at Medical College of Georgia Hospital after battling leukemia. His funeral was held Dec. 3 at Harlem United Methodist Church, where he was a member.
Hugh Camp: Fort Gordon employee died Dec. 1 after a fight with leukemia.
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Those who knew Camp said his death was a loss felt throughout Harlem and Fort Gordon, where he worked for 52 years. His impact on the local community was reflected at the funeral, where more than 600 mourners gathered to pay their last respects.
"A lot of people have to do big things to be great, like become president or invent something. Mr. Camp became great because he did all the little things over and over that made a difference in people's lives," said Jimmie Lewis, Camp's son-in-law and Harlem High School athletic director.
Camp's son, Steve, said his dad was committed to Harlem athletics, and Lewis agreed that Camp was the Bulldogs' best friend.
"He was one of our biggest fans. He's followed Harlem since I played in the 1960s," Lewis said. "He was always in my corner. So many people are critics, but no matter how stupid a thing I did on a ball field, he just said, 'You did a good job, do the best you can next time.' People like that are invaluable to a coach."
Camp also was an original member of the Harlem Volunteer Fire Department, a member of Harlem Masonic Lodge 276, a veteran of World War II and a recipient of the Purple Heart.
"He marched from France to Berlin," Lewis said. "He was a good American, and he did what his country asked him to do. He also was a good person and a good father, and there's not a whole lot of them left."
In addition to his son, Camp is survived by his wife, Dorothy Neal Camp, his daughter Nancy and five grandchildren.