Tribute to GIC

Discuss Fall Foliage in Vermont, when to come, where to stay, where to take a tour etc. Note: You must be registered in order to post. If you have trouble registering, use the contact us form on Scenes of Vermont's home page.

Moderators: Andy, pwt54, admin, ctyanky

Post Reply
Andy
Posts: 1562
Joined: Sun Sep 18, 2005 12:01 am
Location: Saginaw, Michigan
Contact:

Tribute to GIC

Post: # 19148Post Andy
Mon Sep 28, 2015 11:59 am

Most of the "regulars" here know that this year's "reunion" will honor GIC, our dear, departed friend, George Camp. George was an inspiration and a friend to us all. We will have a remembrance for George at Seyon SP on Saturday for those who are able to attend. Unfortunately, some will not be able to attend. I was trying to find a way to bring some images and decided it would be too difficult, especially if we get the predicted rain, so I am going to post them here. After our meeting on Saturday, I'll post some additional comments made by folks close to George. For those who cannot attend, but would like to say something about (or to) George, this would be a good place to post.

Image
George and his wife attended the last official "reunion" in 2010 (which I always thought was a bit of a misnomer, as it was really the first official get-together of the large group - I always thought we should call it a "union"), where many of us who had been bantering on this forum met face to face for the very first time. I think this photo captures the essence of George.

I spent a few days shooting with George that year, and he, my friend Rich and I spent some time looking for just the right waterfall image. George found this and after laughing like schoolboys, we dubbed it "George's Falls."

Image

The last image is a photo of George's grave sent to me recently by a family member

Image

More to follow after Saturday.
Andy

If it sounds too good to be true, its probably . . . .


Andy
Posts: 1562
Joined: Sun Sep 18, 2005 12:01 am
Location: Saginaw, Michigan
Contact:

Re: Tribute to GIC

Post: # 19494Post Andy
Sun Oct 11, 2015 8:19 am

This will be a long post, but as it relates to GIC, someone many of us held as a dear friend and voluminous contributor here, I hope you will indulge. George died in 2012, much too young, with much still to do here, of cancer. He fought it valiantly and with good humor and he touched our lives a way that is hard to describe. (This will be temporarily "sticky" and will be made a normal post after the 2015 foliage season is over)

I have finally returned home and after a full work-week, am finding time to post this. The day I left for Vermont, things looked pretty bleak. The Long Range Forecast called for 4 straight days of rain (ranging from 40 - 80% chance of precip) and clouds. I arrived Wednesday afternoon to the last of the rain we would see all weekend. We did see more clouds than we would like, but the weather got better each day, with a fair amount of sun. It turned out to be a nice weekend for our tribute to GIC.

Image

We arrived at Noyes Pond (in Seyon Ranch State Park) to a partly sunny morning for our appointed place and time to honor "GIC" (George Camp, for those who may not have met him personally). Some of us like to think that was George smiling down on us. We would also like to to think he joined us again, for a brief time on Saturday morning.

CT began, speaking eloquently of what George meant to us all:

Hi George. We are here together at Noyes Pond as you know, to send our love to you and to let you how much we miss you. We think of you often. We are back in Vermont for foliage season, five years after our reunion at Carol’s house in Barton, and we choose this day for you at this beautiful spot. We hope you like it. I know you are with us now, shining your spirit down upon all of us.

I remember when we were in NH at this spot in the photo which we are all holding, and you were so excited with the range of brilliant colors appearing on the hillside. I saw it in your face. I remember the day at that NH waterfall and you were in your element. We won’t forget anything about you, our Gentle Giant.

This may be a bit selfish of me, but George, if you can send us a sign somewhere, sometime that you feel our love and presence, it would be so special. If not, we know you are here amongst your Scenes of Vermont foliage gang and that in itself, is surely enough.

We love you George. We miss you beyond words.

Sweet Autumn Dreams, those sweet words you wrote on one of your foliage posts.

Sweet Autumn Dreams
.

Andy then said a few words about his relationship with George and his continuing communication with George's family (who have expressed their gratitude and honor that we have done this). The may theme of his comments was how positive, supporting, and optimistic George was, putting his own problems second to the concerns of others; and his almost giddy enthusiasm for photography. "George made us smile."

He then read the following communications which he received from George's family members:

From George's wife:

Hi Andy: This is Yanneth Camp. Just read your letter. It brought tears to my eyes ... you all were so dear to George. Five years ago we were preparing to leave for Vermont to meet with you. We were so excited! That was a memorable weekend for us! You're all so nice and kind.

This time of year was and will forever be George's favorite time. He loved the fall and enjoyed every leaf of it. We are still working on his thousands of pictures each of which has history and represents to us a monent of George's time on earh, beatifully captured by his camera which was always around his neck ready to go with him wherever he went. We miss him tremendously and it is especialy this time of the year that he is the most present around us, in the fall air, in every tree we pass and in every leaf that will change its color.

This is my message to you and all ... you were very important to George. Each conversation he had with each of you, each email he sent and received from y'all, each picture he made while being with you meant so much to him.

Photography was his passion and it is that passion that brought all of you together still to this day. We all learned to love nature and respect it even more from people like George ... from people like you guys. Thank you Andy again for contacting me and for keeping the spirit of George alive in your group. Hugs to all and have a great, safe and peaceful 2015 reunion.


From George's Mother:

Andy, this is George's mother and our family is so elated that your coterie of photographers have chosen to honor George this year.
He dearly loved his camera and it was just an appendage as his arms and legs.
At times when George had long stays in the hospital he would bring his photography paraphernalia and set up a screen in his room to entertain.
When I came to be with George in his last days his doctor and receptionist dropped by. The receptionist told me she had lived in the area all her life and had never appreciated the beauty of the fall foliage until she saw George's pictures. She said now it was a new world for her. I was so impressed with her sincerity and the impact he had through the lens of his camera.
At his funeral his daughters put together a collection of many photos of fall foliage on a CD and it was shown on a large screen while people were waiting for the funeral to begin.
Friends and family were in awe of his photography. Ever so often I have someone to tell me they still remember the photos. So George has delighted many with his camera skills. We ever so often watch anew the CD.
He has left us an unforgettable legacy.
It is so heart warming that there was a bond with him, you and the fellow photographers. Although he was a modest man, I know this honor would be akin to winning an Oscar since it was from his peers.
It has been 3 years since his death and I have enclosed a picture of his grave. His memory will forever be etched in our hearts.
Thank you,
Mrs. Camp


Then Carol (Abby) read a poem: "A good Man." (Sorry Carol, but when I tried to look this one up, I found several. Can you send me the right one, or the author, and I will edit and reproduce here?).

We ended the spoken tribute with a moment of silence for George. As we huddled, we could feel him, right in the middle of the group.

Finally, we concluded the ceremony with bubbles released accross the pond. As we watched them in the light wind, one particular bubble hit the water surface, and -- unlike the others -- did not break. Instead it bounced, hit the water again several times on its path to the shore. Just as it hit the shore, it turned a beautiful hue of violet and popped. George was waiving goodbye!

Image

I hope we will keep our friendships made here over the past 10 years, make new "foliage" acquaintances, and that George's spirit will continue to bind us together. Hello, George!
Andy

If it sounds too good to be true, its probably . . . .

ixl
Posts: 938
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 12:01 am
Location: Southern VT
Contact:

Re: Tribute to GIC

Post: # 19512Post ixl
Mon Oct 12, 2015 5:24 pm

Thank you so much for posting this. I am sorry I wasn't able to make it up there either and I didn't really know GIC well but feel like I know him better now.
Charles Kozierok - DesktopScenes.com

View Autumn Scenes from Southern Vermont (2003), my free, 75-image foliage gallery!

ctyanky
Board Admin
Posts: 3322
Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2007 7:22 am

Re: Tribute to GIC

Post: # 19516Post ctyanky
Mon Oct 12, 2015 6:54 pm

This is the most beautiful tribute, one which I have read many times now. The more I read the contributions from our group and his wife and mother, the more I know we reached George in that moment in time. When you truly open your hearts to receive those who have passed on, you can meet them somehow. That is why I kept George in the present when I was speaking to him. You have to believe.

It was a most touching moment when we had our moment of silence huddled together. The bond between us and George remains unbroken. And Andy, yes, I do know he was in that bubble! My tears turned to smiles when he danced across the pond and said farewell to us. How precious life is. CT

Andy
Posts: 1562
Joined: Sun Sep 18, 2005 12:01 am
Location: Saginaw, Michigan
Contact:

Re: Tribute to GIC

Post: # 19536Post Andy
Tue Oct 13, 2015 4:20 pm

Perfect. Thanks. I want to send this entire thread to Yanneth eventually
Andy

If it sounds too good to be true, its probably . . . .


Utah Baker
Posts: 633
Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2010 9:45 pm

Re: Tribute to GIC

Post: # 19549Post Utah Baker
Wed Oct 14, 2015 4:21 pm

Deeply moving, thanks for sharing your feelings and memories with us all. Wish I'd had the privelidge of meeting gic, I do remember reading his posts. So glad I was able to meet some of you this year, my life has been blessed and enriched through this wonderful SOV!


Post Reply