Starkville residents continue to mourn the loss of Dan Camp

STARKVILLE, MISS. (WCBI) – Starkville residents continue to mourn the loss of Dan Camp.

Camp was the former Mayor of Starkville and the visionary behind the “cotton district.”

It’s no secret that Dan Camp was an extraordinary businessman, a dedicated mayor, and an overall pillar of the community.

It was a somber morning for those who knew and loved Dan Camp.

“He was a leader. He was an innovator. He was a visionary,” said Mayor Lynn Spruill. “He saw things before any of the rest of us saw it. He helped create Starkville as it is now.”

“He was a good citizen. He was certainly an outstanding businessman,” said Roy Ruby. “He was one of the most giving and caring people I’ve met, and he really was such a dear friend.”

Many say it would be impossible to walk through downtown Starkville or the Cotton District and not see Camp’s influence.

“That’s where he shown and will continue to shine, and I think his children will carry on that legacy because they are following and have been following with him and in his footsteps as he’s continuing to grow and build the concept of the urban space,” said Mayor Spruill.

“He could see Starkville in ways that others couldn’t see Starkville and he developed a lot of it along those lines,” said Ruby.

“He really is everywhere. What his impact on our city was is as big as his personality,” said Michelle Jones.

He had a personality some describe as Gruff, Boisterous, and exciting.

“At least once a month I’d get a call from Dan about something that I needed to be doing that I wasn’t doing, and we’d yell at one another again, and I’d go visit him, and we’d settle whatever it was, whatever pothole that wasn’t getting fixed the way he thought it ought to be fixed,” said Mayor Spruill.

Some describe him as a person with a hard exterior.

“Dan and I, we had a little croquet club and we used to play croquet ever memorial day weekend. He was extremely competitive and one time went running down the field with his croquet mallet after a player,” said Jones.

But also a person who deeply loved and cared for his friends.

“He was one of the most giving and caring people I’ve met, and he really was such a dear friend,” said Jones.

Camp’s influence can be seen throughout the community, the arts, and even public education.

“He was a very special guy. He will be missed, and he leaves a big hole,” said Mayor Spruill.

“It is a great loss for our community,” said Jones.

And all agree… That Dan Camp was one of kind.

“There’s not anybody in Starkville that will take his place,” said Ruby.

Arrangements for Dan Camp have not yet been announced.