Ex-school board member was man of faith

To those who knew him, James "Jimmy" de Xavier Camak V was a caring man who loved his family and enjoyed spreading his faith in God to others.

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"He loved to share his relationship with Jesus Christ with everybody," said Carole Camak, his wife of 52 years.

The 76-year-old died Mon-day after battling central nervous system lymphoma. Funeral services were Thursday at West Acres Baptist Church in Evans, where he was a member.

Mrs. Camak described her husband as her best friend and said he was a very gentle and loving man. He enjoyed being outdoors, she said.

"About every morning, we had to go out and throw some corn for the deer and turkeys," she said.

Mr. Camak served on the Columbia County school board for 15 years. He worked as a private investor after retiring from AT&T in 1966.

He was a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and lived in Grovetown for 39 years.

Mr. Camak was a member of Carl Mazzola's Praise Sunday School Class. He was a co-founder of Higher Ground Inc., a Christian teaching ministry that was headquartered in Grovetown.

Leda Goodman, the couple's daughter, said her father overcame many obstacles early in his life.

She said her father was born with a cleft palate and weighed only three pounds at birth. By the age of 21, he had undergone 12 surgeries, she said.

Mr. Camak was diagnosed with cancer in his salivary gland 17 years ago, but his wife said he never gave up and continued his daily activities.

"He was just an amazing man with a huge heart," Goodman said. "To everyone that he met, he just really offered love and wisdom."

Goodman, who was Mr. Camak's only daughter and the youngest of her siblings, said she would spend hours talking to her father after coming home from a date.

"He had a lot of confidence in himself," she said. "He passed that on to us."

Mrs. Camak said that her husband loved telling stories to his 13 grandchildren, and they once gave him a shirt that said, "If God hadn't made grandpas, who would be in charge of fun?"

"We will miss him terribly, but we know where he is, and he was very content with that," Mrs. Camak said. "That gives us great comfort, and we will see him again."

In addition to his wife and daughter, his family members include sons, James VI, Jody, Lael and the late Arlen; daughters-in-law, Cheryl, Roxanne and Lynne; a son-in-law, Ian Goodman; and grandchildren, Priscilla, Liorah, Ramona, Moriah, Audrey, Arlen, Graham, Sophia, Amelia, Katherine and Claire Camak, and Christopher and Xaverie Goodman.

Those who knew Mr. Camak in the work environment also remember him fondly.

"He was a man of integrity," said Tucker Vaughn, who served as the school board's superintendent when Mr. Camak was on the school board. "He took his role as a member of the Board of Education quite seriously."

Vaughn, who described Mr. Camak as a family man, said he also was very supportive to others in the community.

"He was very willing to help out, to give his advice, but he was never overbearing," he said. "He understood that school board members have a role to play, and he did it well."

Douglas Luke, who served alongside Mr. Camak on the school board, said he was very cooperative to work with.

"He was certainly admired and respected by many people," he said. "He had a large gathering of friends."

Memorials can be made to Heartland Hospice at 1365 Interstate Parkway in Augusta.