James D. Camp

At home surrounded by family, James D. Camp, Jr. of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, passed away peacefully on June 1, 2023. He was 95 years old. Mr. Camp is survived by his five children, Dorothy "Darcy" Camp McCurry, Marie Camp Hansen (Leo C. Hansen), James D. Camp, III (Dr. Maria C. Camp), William M. Camp (Wendy T. Camp), and Suzanne Camp Bass (Dr. Brian E. Bass), along with 15 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren, with 2 more on the way. Jim is also survived by his sister-in-laws Victoria T. Winterer, of Boca Grande, Florida and Rosemary Winterer Pacini, of Florence, Italy.

A proud native of Ft. Lauderdale, Jim was preceded in death by his loving wife of 65 years, Suzanne Winterer Camp, his parents James D. Camp, Sr. and Margueritte Byrne Camp, and his only sibling, his sister, Helen Marie Crane.

Mr. Camp was a graduate of St. Anthony Catholic School and Ft. Lauderdale High School, where he was president of his senior class and lettered in basketball and band. He was an accomplished clarinet and saxophone player. After high school, Jim went on to the University of Florida, and graduated in 1949 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. While in Gainesville, Jim was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity where he met many life-long friends. He then was accepted in the University of Florida's law school and earned his Juris Doctor degree in 1951, serving on the editorial staff of the Florida Law Review. He was subsequently admitted to the Florida Bar that same year and remained a member in good standing for seventy (70) consecutive years. Mr. Camp was later honored by receiving the highly-coveted University of Florida Distinguished Alumnus award in 2011, and was also named an honorary member of Florida Blue Key.

After law school, Jim returned home and joined McCune Hiaasen Crum Ferris and Gardner, the oldest and largest firm in Ft. Lauderdale at the time. There he became a partner and served as the firm's senior trust and estate specialist. In 1988, Mr. Camp left the firm to establish his own practice, which later evolved to become Camp and Camp, P.A., when his son, Jim, joined the practice. Mr. Camp was a member of the Florida Bar Board of Examiners and was also Chairman of Florida Bar Probate Rules Committee. Throughout his career, Jim exercised his keen intellect, had a love for the law, and viewed it as a true profession.

In 1961, Jim was elected first President of the Broward County Young Lawyers Section. Mr. Camp was a Fellow of The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), the gold standard of an elite nationwide group of trust and estate legal specialists. He served as President of the Ft. Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, was a decades-long member of the Knights of Columbus and, at the time of his death, was the longest living member of the Lauderdale Yacht Club having served as its legal counsel. He also was a past member of the Holy Cross Hospital Advisory Committee and was a President of the Hundred Club of Ft. Lauderdale.

In addition to his law practice, Mr. Camp was also Chairman of the Board of Century Banks, and later served on the Board of Directors of SunTrust Banks, which eventually became part of Truist Financial Corporation. Years before his death, he was pleased to witness the renaming of Southeast Second Street in downtown Ft. Lauderdale to "J.D. Camp, Sr. Street" in honor and in recognition of his father, a Ft. Lauderdale pioneer and lifelong Florida banker.

Mr. Camp was proud of his Irish heritage and literally and figuratively kissed the Blarney Stone. He was personable, funny, and always on the look-out for humorous stories, anecdotes, and jokes. Jim had an uncanny memory, and with Irish wit, could recall stories and one-liners at a moment's notice which he could adapt for just about any occasion.

He and his wife, Sue, enjoyed travel, and were fortunate to have visited many countries of the world. Although Jim loved his native Ft. Lauderdale, he and Sue also enjoyed many summers at their vacation home in Cashiers, North Carolina.

In addition to his dedication to his legal profession and banking activities, Jim's highest priorities were his family and his faith. He was a regular at St. Anthony Catholic Church every Sunday throughout his life, which was also the church where he was baptized, confirmed, and married. In 1997, he received the Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy Award presented by the Saint Thomas More Society. He was later designated a Knight of St. Gregory by Pope John Paul II. Jim loved his children, his grandchildren, and was particularly proud of the still-growing number of his great-grandchildren. He was generous throughout his life, whether it was the donation of his valuable time, his financial resources, or the establishment of numerous legal vehicles which benefitted those in need. Most of this was done anonymously and with little fanfare.



A Mass of Christian Burial for Mr. Camp will be held at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Ft. Lauderdale at noon on Saturday, June 10. Attendees are encouraged to wear orange and blue since Jim was an enthusiastic and proud Gator. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Suzanne Winterer Camp Academic Fund, to benefit teachers of Catholic education, which was established by Mr. Camp. Please make checks payable to Schwab Charitable, and in the memo section write "Suzanne Winterer Camp Academic Fund". Please mail checks to James D. Camp, III at 111 S.E. 12th Street, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316.