CAMILLE HARRIS HOSLEY

12/07/1943 to 05/20/2023

Camille Harris Hosley (née Harris) said goodbye to this mortal life on May 20, 2023, aged 79. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. She and her husband Dr. Frederick E. Hosley, DDS (retired) — both of Clearwater, Florida — had not considered the possibility of her departure before his. Indeed, her kids always expected her to live to 100. After all, her late mother, Lucy Grace Harris (née Campbell), lived to the ripe old age of 92. Camille had never been sick. Yet here we are.

After her diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, the tough as nails daughter of a true Florida Cracker reminded us that the last time she had been in the hospital was for the birth of her daughter Stacey Marshall Henson (née Marshall; James Henson) of Tampa, Florida, some 53 odd years ago. She was not about to return now. Declining the offer of treatment, she elected to go gracefully to the next life: a decision which surprised no one who knew her.

She faced her terminal illness as she faced her entire life: selfless, fearless, and only thinking of others. When she called to tell her family of the 5cm mass on her pancreas, she paused and said: “are you OK?”

Camille Harris was born two years to the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor: December, 7, 1943. This convenient fact would on more than one occasion save her son, Scott Richard Marshall (Gloydian Cruz) of Tampa, Florida and Sala, Sweden, from forgetting his mother’s birthday. Despite being taken from us before we were ready, she lived a long and beautiful life. A life filled with Love and Grace. It is with the spirit of gratitude that we remember her now. Gratitude for the support she gave us. For the wisdom and guidance she bestowed upon us. For the Love she shared with us.

A seventh generation Floridian, Camille was born to Boyd Hunt Harris and Lucy Grace Harris who had both been a part of the Clearwater community for generations. Her father and grandfather (Lemuel Harris) owned and operated Harris Pharmacy in Clearwater. Her mother was a Registered Nurse who worked at Morton Plant Hospital and taught in the local college nursing programs. As a young woman growing up in Clearwater, Florida, Camille attended Skycrest Elementary School. Throughout her youth, the Harris Family spent their summers at Harris Haven, their family cabin in Balsam, North Carolina. These summer retreats were an integral part of life in the Harris Household. A regular guest of these summer sojourns was a young Fred Hosley, best friend of her younger brother, Boyd Hunt Harris, II (Tina Harris) of Palm Harbor, Florida.

Camille graduated from Clearwater High School in 1961. She was in the marching band at CHS, a Key Club Calendar Girl (March, 1961) and Miss CHS her senior year. Years later, she would reconnect with many of her high school friends through involvement in the Reunion Planning Committee for her graduating class.

When her late father Boyd Hunt Harris — a diehard Florida Gator — learned that she was considering that “other” college up in Tallahassee, he “encouraged” Camille to attend Stephens College, a then 2-year women’s college in Columbia, Missouri. Columbia was and is also home to the University of Missouri where Boyd’s brother, the late Tom Harris, was the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

After completing her 2-year stretch at Stephens College, she attended and graduated from the University of Missouri with a Bachelor of Arts in English, just a few decades before Mizzou entered the SEC East, an irony her dearly departed father would fortunately never come to know.

During her years as a stay-at-home mom, Camille was known to the friends of Scott and Stacey as the coolest mom on the block. Back in the 1980s, throughout their junior high, high school and college years, Camille welcomed Scott and Stacey’s friends to spend the night any time. Her one rule: anyone spending the night had to cough up their car keys. There would be no drinking and driving on her watch. She was also always willing to let you try to beat her at Scrabble. If you were lucky enough to win against her, you remember it fondly.

In 1990, Camille found her soul mate. As fate would have it, it turned out he had been living right under her nose since she was 12. Fred Hosley, lifetime best friend of her younger brother Hunt, had been a fixture at the Harris Household on Cleveland Street in Clearwater since the mid-1950s. She was Hunt’s gorgeous big sister that Fred probably always had his eye on.

Fred brought another Fred, Frederick E. Hosley, Jr. (Amy Hosley) of Tampa, Florida and another Staci, Staci Dee Walton (née Hosley; Louis Walton, IV) also of Tampa, Florida, into Camille’s life. Fred Jr. was 15 at the time that Fred & Camille married in a private family ceremony on her parent’s back porch in Clearwater on March 16, 1991. Old Boyd sure was happy and proud to see his daughter marry the man he had looked at as a second son since Fred and Hunt were young, mischievous boys. Camille and Fred moved to Clearwater Beach with young Fred, Jr. and she began working as the office manager for Fred’s dental practice in Clearwater.

Over the next 32 years, Fred and Camille lived a wonderful life together, traveling to their Maggie Valley cabin or their River Cabin on Lake Rousseau in Levy County, and watching their grandchildren grow. Known as Nonni to her grandchildren Jackson Pierce Cole, Samantha Camille Henson, Natalie Grace Marshall, Nicholas Scott Marshall, Anna Celina Marshall, Liam Hunt Marshall, Louis Walton V, and Savanah MarieAnn Walton, she and Fred enjoyed hosting the kids for holidays and trips to the River.

As Fred neared the end of his career, the two decided to take a trip to Australia where Fred was born, and visit with his cousins Dawn and Russell Jones of Melbourne, Australia, who had visited them so many times in Clearwater. It was the trip of a lifetime as they spent just over a month Down Under visiting with family and seeing the beautiful land of Fred’s birth.

Very dear to both their hearts were their Golden Retrievers. First Kelsey, who gave birth to Sampson. When Kelsey and Sam were gone, then came Dugan, and finally Sunday, who still keeps Fred company today.

They named their three acre plot on Lake Rousseau in Inglis, Florida Fred’s Point. It was here that Fred and Camille spent the majority of their Golden Years. Bass fishing and enjoying nature with their Goldens. And it was here that Camille spent her final beautiful days upon this Earth. On March 16, 2023, they were married for 32 beautiful years and celebrated their 32nd Wedding Anniversary.Just prior to her passing, Camille hosted a Harris Family Reunion with cousins, nephews and nieces from all over the country flying in to see her one last time. It was a weekend treasured by all.

The picture of grace, Camille didn’t like to talk politics, nor did she wear her religion on her sleeve. Nevertheless, a deep faith in Christ grounded her in this life and gave her peace.

Pursuant to her wishes, Camille was cremated and her remains will be interred at Sylvan Abbey in Clearwater, Florida, near James and June Hosley, Fred’s parents. She will be laid to rest in a private family ceremony in the coming weeks.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Clearwater Historical Society.

https://www.clearwaterhistori…

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