John Hollis Camp III, age 56, also known as Johnny, JC, Coach Johnny, Dad, and Papaw, went to be with the Lord on November 16, 2022, following a heroic 2.5 year battle with Stage IV Small Cell Lung Cancer. Born in Mobile Alabama and raised in Huntsville, Johnny was a cut-up and a character, and one of the funniest people you would ever meet, as his classmates and friends from J.O. Johnson High School and the University of North Alabama will attest.
Johnny was a loving son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, coach, and friend, and had a heart much softer than he wanted most people to know. His greatest love was his only child, Hannah, and “dad” was the title he cherished the most. He spent many years in the corporate world (Command-Alkon) before starting his own landscaping business to have the freedom to follow his daughter’s college softball career and attend her games. He found his true calling when he began coaching girls’ softball. Following his daughter’s graduation from college, he became the Assistant Softball Coach at Spain Park High School, coaching alongside Coach C.J. Hawkins. He loved every one of his softball girls as if she was his own daughter and made an impact on so many players’ and their families’ lives. A sportswriter once named him “The Most Charismatic Assistant Softball Coach the Game has Ever Seen,” and he did his best to live up to that title, always teetering on the edge between encouraging and motivating his team and getting kicked out of the game for challenging and arguing with umpires.
Johnny became a Papaw in July 2021 when precious Sadie Grace was born, and she helped to ease the pain of his illness like nothing else could. Johnny loved to travel, to try new restaurants, to lie on the beach, and to play poker in Las Vegas. We have no doubt that he is in heaven doing all the above, pain- and nausea-free from the illness and treatment he endured. An avid lifelong Alabama football fan, he will no doubt be consulting with Coach Bear Bryant about this year’s season.
He is survived by his wife of 32 years (Angela Reach Camp-Huntsville), his daughter (Hannah Camp Stephens-Acworth Georgia), his son-in-law (Jake Stephens-Acworth), his grandbaby (Sadie Grace Stephens-Acworth), his mother (Stella J. Camp-Huntsville), his sister (Vicki Camp-Huntsville), his best friends (John “Chief” Millwood-Hoover and Mike Raby-Athens), and many more beloved extended family and friends. He is preceded in death by his father (John H. Camp Jr-Huntsville) and grandparents.
A Celebration of Life is being planned; information will be posted on social media as soon as details are available. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Coach Johnny Camp Memorial Scholarship Fund at:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/coach-johnny-camp-memorial-scholarship-fund
