SueDea Ann Camp

1938 - 2025

SueDea Ann (Bell) Camp, our beloved Sue, Mom, Grammy Sue, Aunt Sue, GG, passed away peacefully in her home on Oct. 29, 2025, in Montgomery, Alabama. Although Montgomery was her home for the last 10 years, her forever home and story began on the longest day of the year, June 21, 1938, in Fairbanks, Alaska. SueDea graduated from Lathrop High School in 1956; around the same time she met her future husband and forever soul mate, Paul David Camp Sr., at a military dance that led to a quick proposal that summer.
Cooling off in the river on a hot summer day, Paul proposed to SueDea in the middle of the Chatanika River, leading to her jumping on his back. It was unclear if it was an attempt to drown Paul or if it was due to the excitement of his proposal, but thus began the start of their life together.
About six months later, Paul drove down the Alcan (which they would later drive together more than a dozen times) while SueDea flew to their wedding destination of Red Bluff, California. Due to family circumstances, it was necessary for them to get married outside of Alaska, and Paul was so excited to claim SueDea as his that he picked a stranger as his best man to seal the deal quickly on Dec. 22, 1956. A short honeymoon followed in Chico, California.
SueDea gave birth to their first child, David, in 1957, where shortly thereafter the military stationed them on their first assignment Outside of Alaska. Many military assignments, square dancing, fishing, camping, tobogganing and three more kids later - Russ, Jenny, and Richard - they eventually made their way back to Fairbanks, Alaska in 1975 when Paul retired from the military. Around this time, SueDea began working for Evans Engine & Equipment and then The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.
In 1984 after her first grandbaby was born, she made it her new career to help in the care of many grandbabies and great-grandbabies to follow.
In 2013, SueDea and Paul left Alaska and migrated south to Evansville, Indiana, where Paul's family lived. Two years later, the deeper south called and they rode the Crimson Tide down to Montgomery, Alabama, where she lived amongst extended family and friends.
The midnight sun extended beyond the sky the night SueDea was born. Her light, laughter, and love could be seen and felt by anyone within her presence or a thousand miles away. Her capacity to love was untouchable. Whether through her involvement in her church, her PEO group, or around the table playing cards at a holiday gathering, SueDea's genuine spirit and authentic self always made people feel more than loved, she made them feel seen. Of all the communities she was a part of, her family was the most important community to her heart. Her most frequent stories were of time spent at Tangle Lakes, Seward, and Valdez camping with her husband, children and grandchildren.
While she has gone home to the Lord who she was so close to on earth, she is survived here by her husband, Paul David Camp Sr., whom she was married to just shy of 69 years; her brother, Albert Bell (Becky); brother-in-law, Steve Camp (Faye); her sister-in-law, Marilyn Bell; her children, Paul David Camp Jr. (Kim Abbey), Russell Camp, Jenny Nance, and Richard Camp (Rita); her grandchildren, Breanna St. Amand (Sasha Doxey), Crysti Kramer (Randall), Justin Nance, Ryan Camp (Candi), Alex Camp (Stephanie), Anna Orendorff (Ricky), and Jackson Deveraux (Shelby). She is also survived by 20 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and relatives.
While SueDea requested no service, it was her last wish for family to come together to spread her ashes in Tangle Lakes under the midnight sun.
Condolences can be sent to Paul Camp, 30 Crabapple Trace, Montgomery, Alabama, 36117.
"Golly Gosh I love you, infinity times infinity plus one."
- Love, Your Grandkids