Joanne V. Camp

Born September 30, 1934 in Oskaloosa, Iowa

Died May 19, 2023 in Whittier, California

Father’s Name Thomas Warren Votaw

Mother’s Name Mary Ethel Andrews Votaw

She is survived by her daughters, Elizabeth Camp and Colleen Anasis, her son-in-law George Anasis, grandchildren Clayton & Amelia Anasis and Sarah Gayler, along with many nieces, nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by her loving husband Kenneth L. Camp Jr. and son Kenneth W. Camp.

Graveside service will be on Thursday June 15, 2023 beginning promptly at 10:00 am, please arrive 9:45 am Garden of Eternity Rose Hills, 3888 Workman Mill Rd. Whittier, CA 90601 Gate 1

Memorial service will follow at 11:00 am with a lunch reception following at Whittier First Friends Church 13205 Philadelphia St. Whittier, CA 90601-4386.  The church phone number is 562-698-9805.

Flower arrangements should be delivered to the church by 10 am.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Whittier First Friends Church for special projects including the Ramallah Friends School which Joanne has supported since she attended Earlham College. See the school’s website for more information. Website:https://www.rfs.edu.ps/

If you are unable to attend the memorial service in person, please join us online.  The Zoom invitation is below. 

Please note we will have the virtual (Zoom) foyer open so you can say hello (and we can check microphones and speakers) from 10:40-10:55 a.m.  At 10:55 we will enter a time of silence. We ask that you mute your microphones at that time. The memorial for Joanne will begin at 11:00 a.m.  If you enter Meeting for Worship after 10:55 a.m. please be sure to keep your microphone muted.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2020188788(Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting)

Meeting ID: 202 018 8788

To call in from a traditional landline phone, call 1-213-338-8477 or 1-669-900-6833, wait for the prompt, and dial 202 018 8788#.

Joanne Votaw Camp died May 19, 2023; she was 88 years old.  Joanne was born in Oskaloosa, Iowa as the second daughter to Thomas Warren Votaw & Mary Ethel Andrews Votaw.  Due to her father’s health issues with tuberculosis the family moved to Tucson, AZ and went back and forth between the family farm in Fremont, Iowa and Arizona.  Upon her father’s death when she was five years old they moved back to the farm for a year before moving to Whittier where her mother had family and friends to support her and her two daughters Marilyn Grace Votaw Walker Dickey and Joanne Elizabeth Votaw Camp. She attended Whittier City Schools and graduated from Whittier High School graduated with the class of 1952 as a proud Cardinal!

After the death of her father, she, her mother and sister would travel back and forth from Whittier to Fremont, Iowa helping on the farm and exploring the United States visiting family members along the way.  The beginning of her love of road trips and travel!

She loved traveling, knitting, reading, and staying in touch with family and Friends.  She truly was interested in what you were doing, she had Friends for life and never met a stranger!

She read the daily newspaper keeping in touch with the current events, doing Word Search puzzles and sharing articles of interest with us or the crossword puzzles with her neighbor. She loved her desserts!

She was active in high school and loved going with her girlfriends to Balboa Island over Easter and summer breaks.  She also enjoyed time at Whittier YMCA’s Camp Arbolado as a child and teen counselor.  She went to Fullerton College for two years and transferred to Earlham College in Indiana to earn her teaching credential when she graduated in 1956.  She was a student teacher for a 3^rd grade class at Warner School in Richmond, Indiana for the school year of 1955-1956.

In the summer of 1956 while attending a “Story Telling” Course at Whittier College her life was forever changed!  This is where she met Kenneth L. Camp, who was attending Long Beach State College (Now Cal State University Long Beach).  They were married on July 12, 1957 with whom she had three children. They moved the family to Brea, California in 1965 where they lived ever since.

She taught school in East Whittier City School District for 36 years from 1956-1992 only taking time off to have her three children:  Elizabeth Elaine Camp, Colleen Grace Anasis and Kenneth Warren Camp.

Joanne volunteered with the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts troops where her children were involved. She helped her daughters earn the highest level of Girl Scouting at the time called First Class while she helped her son earn the rank of Eagle Boy Scout. She & Ken loved camping and took the kids on many outings along with spending time at their cabin in Lake Arrowhead.  She also loved going to her grandchildren events including Grandparents Days, soccer games, scouting and musical events.

Joanne was a birthright Quaker and has been a member of First Friends Church since moving to Whittier,  She and Ken saw true joy in sharing their cabin with the Jr. High and High School Friends each year. Fond memories and intergenerational friendships were created knowing God was guiding the hearts of all those involved.

Joanne and Ken traveled across country in their motor home and even drove to Mexico City in 1976 to pick up Colleen, their daughter who was an exchange student that summer. They traveled to many countries, sometimes with their high school friends or her sister-in-law, Elaine’s church traveling group. They loved traveling and were always planning their next trip.

In 2014, her dear son, Kenny passed away suddenly and in 2016 her loving husband passed away too.  Despite the true sadness she had, she held onto her faith that she knew she would see them again.  She took care of their dog, Sedona until she told her goodbye too. 

She was ready at a moment's notice with anyone.  After she retired, she loved going to the Women’s Bible study at First Friends Church at 7 am with breakfast afterwards.  Colleen made sure she continued attending when she stopped driving and would also take her for adventures and the important monthly hair and nail appointments, along with any necessary doctor appointments, lunch or dinner with anyone who suggested it.  She loved going with Elizabeth to a Soroptimist event or to the theatre particularly the La Mirada Theatre!  She had a life-long love of musicals, plays and Neil Diamond who she saw in concert a few times!

Her last year was challenging, On March 28, 2022 she had surgery at UCI Medical Center, the sarcoma tumor about the size of a fist was removed from the back of her left knee cutting a tendon which left her with a drop foot and unable to walk, confined to her bed and after extensive tests finding cancer in other parts of her body she was put under hospice care.  Doctors estimated she had three to six months to live.  On April 30, 2022 she was brought home and was in a hospital bed in her living room under PIH Hospice care and 24/7 caregivers who were amazing!

They cared for her like their own mother or grandmother and got attached to her positive attitude and infectious smile like many of you whom she loved. 

When the opened wound got too painful and she needed the care of a registered nurse we moved her to Walnut Villa in Whittier where she was only there two weeks.  The care she received and the love and support Colleen and I received was wonderful but Mom determined it was time to go to heaven and stopped eating.  As much as we tried and the care support tried, it was time for all of us to say “We love you, thank you for all you have done for us and see you in heaven!”  We ask her to please give big hugs to Dad, Kenny and everyone else in heaven.  She smiled!