Barbara Jean Camerl (White)

Barbara Jean (White) Camerl, of Bristol, CT, peacefully went home to be with the Lord on July 16, 2020. She is the daughter of the late Charles and Honer (Hudson) White, Sr. of Cottageville, SC.

Barbara is a graduate of the Colleton County School system. While in high school she was the 1956 Colleton County High Homecoming Queen and the 1957 Colleton County High Auto Shop Queen. After graduating high school, she moved to Philadelphia, PA and Florida to help family members with daycare. Then, she moved to Brooklyn, NY and worked as a seamstress. It was Brooklyn where she met Tim and married Tim in Cottageville, SC in the year 1963 and then settled in Bristol, CT to build her family and her home.

Barbara was a babysitter to a countless number of children from the community as well as her own grandchildren. She was employed at General Hypodermics now Johnson and Johnson (Southington, CT) and was well-known as a cook for her potato salad and macaroni cheese, a baker with her pound cakes and pineapple-coconut cakes and as a seamstress for the multitude of wedding dresses, prom dresses, choir dresses and dance team uniforms she meticulously and methodically put together.

Not only was she a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, she was devoted to her service to God. She served at Jericho United Methodist Church, Cottageville, SC and Beulah A.M.E. Zion Church, Forestville, CT, where she served in various organizations such as the Busy Bees, the Deaconess, the Missionary Society, the Senior Choir and the Mass Choir. Barbara served many roles in the church such as the Sunday School Superintendent, where she lead the Adult Class and was instrumental in making sure the youth of the church had Easter and Christmas recitations. She also served in Beulah as the Buds of Promise Co-Supervisor along with her homegirl, the late Lillian “Nellie” Jones, as the Quarterly Conference Secretary, as the Chairperson of the Hospitality Committee and as a Class Leader. In 2017, she received the A.M.E. Zion, Hartford District’s, Alton F. Brooks Lay Council Award, for her “Extraordinary dedication and loyal service in the Lay Council Activities.” Barbara also served in the community as the Treasurer of the Bristol CT Chapter of the NAACP serving four years. Her greatest work was starting the annual tradition of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. This program she started when the birthday of Rev. King became a national holiday in 1986. In January 2020, the Bristol CT Chapter of the NAACP recognized her with the Longevity Award for her, “Tenacity in recognizing and educating our community on social justice issues” in observance of the King holiday.

She is predeceased by her parents, Charles and Honer White, siblings Willie White, Arthur White, Thomas White, Clyde White, Ruth White Daniels, Dorothy White Salley, and Mabel White; she is predeceased by her longtime friends, Lillian “Nellie” Jones, Doris Hooker, Elizabeth Floyd, Beulah Crandell and Jeannie Mack.

She is survived by her loving and devoted husband of more than 56 years, Timothy Camerl Sr., three children, Timothy Camerl, Jr., Barbara Lynell (Nick, Jr.) Jones, Latarsha Camerl (Terry) Lewis, nine grandchildren, Timothy Paris (Maritza) Camerl, Keon Walton, Alanna Camerl, Nicolas “Tre” Jones, III, Olivia Camerl, Jelani Walton, Malachi Jones, Ava Camerl, Nala Jones and 4 great-grandchildren, Andréa Camerl, Nolan Camerl, Cynniya Walton and Toraj “TJ” Walton, one brother Charles “Bunk” White, Jr. and one sister, Mary White Davis, both of Cottageville, SC, a huge host of nieces, nephews and cousins, a close friend, Elizabeth Herbert and beloved choir director, Sylvia Hooker, both of Georgia, and a new found love for her great-grand puppy, Whiskey. A surprise to all!

The Camerl family wants to extend our love and give a heartfelt, “Thank you!” to Maritza Rivera, Lakyia Thomas, and Kim Sansing for their unwavering love and support towards Barbara and our family during her final days.

A private service will be held on Tuesday, July 21, 2020. The service is arranged by DuPont Funeral Home, Bristol, CT. Flower arrangements are welcome or in lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to the Bristol CT Chapter NAACP Scholarship Fund, 55 South Street, Bristol, CT, 06010, in her honor.