Robert Lamar Camp

How do you sum up a life in just a few paragraphs? Lamar Camp was an extraordinary man who few people really knew and understood. He was born in 1940 and could remember things about life during WWII. He grew up in Riverdale, Clayton County, GA in the house his grandfather built. He was the middle son of Howard and Thelma Haslett Camp. He admired and tried to emulate his older brother, Larry, who he always said taught him how to be a man. He and his younger brother, Jimmy, shared a love of sports.

Graduating from Jonesboro High School in 1958, he excelled in academics and sports, lettering in baseball, football, and track, and was a member of the Beta club. He did not have the privilege of a college education, but he took full advantage of his intellect. He worked with his uncles building houses, with his older brother in a sheet metal shop, then becoming a tool and die maker before landing a job with Delta Airlines in the machine shop in 1961. When he was interviewed for the job at Delta, they asked him what he was qualified for and what job he was interested in. His answer was that he could learn anything. And that wasn't bragging-it was a fact. After a time as a machinist, he was promoted to the Tooling Department, where he would spend the remainder of his career designing tools for the airlines. His time at Delta spanned 31 years and he took early retirement at the age of 52.

A few years later, he realized a dream by moving to the country where he could hunt and fish in his own backyard and enjoy the quiet and the woods.

During his time at Delta, he served in the Naval Air Reserves for six years, attaining the rank of First Class Petty Officer.

His greatest achievement in life was as a husband and father. When he married a young girl who was seven and a half years younger, not many people gave them much of a chance, but 59 years later, he and JoAnn were still very much in love and devoted to each other. He was especially proud of his children and grandchildren. All in all, a life well lived and precious memories for those left behind.

Dementia was the beast that took him. It was a cruel disease for a man who had such an extraordinary mind. He was a very complex individual who could drive you crazy with his need for perfection and order and who was never afraid to speak his truth. No opinion or belief that he held had been arrived at without thorough analysis. He was not a man of casual relationships. If you were his friend, you would have been scrupulously vetted, and you would have had a friend who would be there when everyone else deserted you.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Howard Lamar Camp and Thelma Irene Haslett, and his brother, Larry Eugene Camp.

Those who mourn him include his wife, JoAnn (Josephine Anita) Gonzalez Camp, his son, Joseph Paul Camp and wife Robin; his daughter, Marla Anita and husband Jonathan Loggins; his grandchildren, Devin Ryan Camp and wife Kaela, Mitchell Robert Camp, Olivia Allene Loggins, Josie Drew Loggins, and Sarah Anita Loggins.

His beloved sister-in-law Charlotte Chambers Camp, his brother James Edwin Camp and wife, Helen Moore Camp, and his nieces and nephews Judy, Gene, Todd, Jeff, Dana, Wendy, Cathy, David, and Sandra.

Thank you, Lamar, for allowing us to love you. Lamar's final instructions were to have his body cremated. He did not want any type of formal service and he did not want flowers. We will have a gathering of his friends between 2:00-4:00 pm, Sunday, February 1, 2026 at The Venue at Warm Springs, 47 Bulloch St, Warm Springs, GA 31830. Please use the following link for the funeral service evite https://www.evite.com/event/0348IIAE4SKDAAR5OEPQ7F5WXQIOXQ?gid=0030IIAE4SKDAAKJIEPQ7SXTFTVYVQ&emhm5=cb2cc214a5362500bec15590f5756d6f&emhs1=e17cbe779df58d4ed17f6ea3b4af162aa4991f93&emhs2=6b42d20617de31ff9b5551364f4328cb0a8c636655db6379819504ee86a1ae4d&utm_campaign=view_and_rsvp_bt&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=GUEST_INVITE_EVENT

If you want to remember him, please consider a donation in his honor to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta/Scottish Rite, St. Jude's Hospital, the Tunnel to Towers organization, or a charity that is meaningful to you.

Condolences can also be expressed to the family online at www.mckoon.com.

McKoon Funeral Home & Crematory, 770-253-4580

McKoon Funeral Home & Crematory (770) 253-4580