Helen Louise Camp

Helen Louise Wells Camp, Orlanda, Florida resident and former Vinita resident, passed away on December 23, 2024 at the age of 90 in Orlando, FL. Helen was born in Vinita, OK on November 7, 1934 to Sellers Wells and Ona Mae Jones who she will be buried next to in Vinita, Oklahoma. She was a graduate of Oklahoma State University, formerly known as Oklahoma A and M College, with a BS in Home Economics and Early Child Development. It was there where she met her husband James (Jim) Garvin Camp of Maysville, Oklahoma. After graduating from Oklahoma A and M, the couple married in Vinita and then, while stationed in Frankfurt, Germany she gave birth to her twin sons. 

Helen was a schoolteacher, an Army Officer's wife, and homemaker. She, Jim, and the boys moved around a lot. From Tulsa, OK to Copperas Cove, Texas to Augsburg, Germany and back to Tulsa while Jim served his first tour in Vietnam. They moved to Fort Knox, Kentucky, back to Tulsa during his second tour, and then back to Fort Hood and Copperas Cove in Texas. They then moved to Northern Virginia where Jim finished his military career. After being widowed in 1981 she started a new career as a reservationist for Piedmont Airlines out of Reston, Virgina. Piedmont was sold, and in 1991, she moved from Chantilly, Virgina to Orlando, Florida to work for the then US Air.

Helen loved to travel and went on many trips with her girlfriends from work. They traveled the world from Europe, to Africa, to the Far East. She visited Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean to South America. She even went behind the Iron Curtain when that was still a thing.

In addition, Helen loved her Cowboys, both Oklahoma State and Dallas. She watched them on her last night of life and smiled when Dallas upset the local Buccaneers of Tampa.

Helen is survived by her twin sons Mark Camp of Houston, Texas, and Matt (Diane) Camp of Springfield, Virgina. She had three grandchildren, Cody Camp of Charlotte, North Carolina, Steven (Erin) Phillips of Springfield, Virgina, and Sarah Camp of Springfield, Virgina. She is also survived by, three great grandchildren; Jackson, Hayley and Connor Phillips; sister, Mary (Ron) Panter of Miami, Oklahoma; niece, Kelly (Pup) Longan of Grand Lake, Oklahoma, and nephews; John (Lori) Pierce of Rochester, Minnessota, and Greg (Marie) Panter of Miami, Oklahoma.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; and sister Dorothy (Joe) Pierce of Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Graveside Services will be held Saturday, January 4, 2025, in the Fairview Cemetery, Vinita, Oklahoma. As a young child, Helen came down with polio in both her legs and spent some time in Shriner's Hospital in St. Louis, MO. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any donations be made to Shriners Children's at www.shrinerchildrens.org

Online condolences may be made at www.honoringmemoriesvinita.com or on the funeral home Facebook page. Arrangements are in the care of Luginbuel Funeral Home of Vinita. “Family owned. Locally operated.”