Obituary for Hugh Eugene "Pete" Cameron
Hugh “Pete” Eugene Cameron of Lummi Island, Washington, died peacefully on the afternoon of December 21, 2022, at the age of 92, the last of his generation in his branch of the Cameron Family tree.
Pete was born in Cleveland, Ohio on September 11, 1930, to Hugh and Ruth Cameron. The family moved to Lakewood, Ohio where Pete graduated from Lakewood High School in 1948. He grew up in Lakewood but developed a long-standing love of nature and rural areas while spending many happy weekends and summers at his grandparents’ farm south of Huron, Ohio. Officially known as Riverbrink Farm (poultry and apples), Pete said they coined it “Heathen’s Haven,” since spending a weekend there meant missing Sunday church services back in Lakewood.
Pete was a US Navy veteran of the Korean War. He enlisted in the US Naval Reserve at the beginning of his senior year in high school, meeting one night each week for training. In college, he transferred to a Navy Reserve air unit at NAS Port Columbus, where Pete worked on Grumman F6F Hellcats as a motor tech striker. This experience ignited a lifelong passion for aviation in Pete, who was always the family resource for identification of any aircraft. After war broke out on the South Korean Peninsula in June 1950, Pete’s college education was interrupted when he was called to active duty in the US Navy and sent overseas. Following 18 months on Guam working in construction for the Navy, Pete returned to the US and was discharged from active duty.
For a year after leaving the Navy, Pete worked a series of odd jobs and construction in Ohio, Oregon, California, and New Mexico, to include helping his brother, Bob, build his house. While some of these jobs pleasantly satisfied his artistic senses, most did not scratch the itch. Ever since writing a paper on dairy farming in 7th grade, Pete’s aim was to become a scientific dairy farmer. Desiring work in agriculture but realizing he did not have the financial wherewithal to purchase a farm, Pete’s mother suggested that he become a farm writer. So, Pete then pursued an education in Agricultural Journalism, earning a BS in Agricultural Economics from Ohio State University in 1954 and an MS in Agricultural Journalism from the University of Wisconsin, in January of 1957. He completed some PhD research at the University of Wisconsin but stopped short of a degree because of the family separation it required.
In December of 1953, he married Margaret, whom Pete had met at church in Artesia, New Mexico, where he had traveled to be the best man at the wedding for one of his Navy buddies. They started married life in Columbus, Ohio, with no debts, a car they fully owned, a full tank of gas, $8.22 in the pocket, and Pete’s $1.25/hr. half-time job.
In 1955 they celebrated the birth of their first child, and shortly afterwards moved to Las Cruces, New Mexico where Pete worked as Assistant Editor with the New Mexico State University Ag Department. This was the first in a string of seven moves crisscrossing the nation as Pete progressed up the ranks in the field of agricultural journalism at five different land-grant colleges. After the birth of their second child, Pete and Margaret moved to Bozeman, Montana. They returned for a year to Madison as Pete pursued a PhD, then moved from Bozeman after birth of their third child, to Morgantown, West Virginia. Then it was on to Blacksburg, Virginia, and ultimately Pullman, Washington, where Pete retired from his agricultural journalism career. Each of these long moves produced many pleasant family memories while visiting relatives, camping (never a hotel!), and visiting many natural wonders across the country.
At each new domicile, Pete was an active and contributing member of the local community. He held all offices in Toastmasters including president and didn’t let bureaucracy stop him from helping others. Pete was a Cub Scout Pack Master and Den Mother at a time when Scouts didn’t let men hold that job. Margaret was the registered Den Mother, but Pete filled the role because most of the kids in the pack were from single mother homes and he felt they needed a father figure.
Living in seven states throughout the country, Pete developed a love for travel and exploring new and different locations. By his own account, he visited “over 32 countries, 5 seas, and 7 rivers,” most of them with Margaret. In recent years, Pete and Margaret traveled the world on many cruises, but probably their most memorable travel was a six-week 1993 trip to Kazakhstan as part of the Farmer to Farmer Program. Closer to home, Pete traveled extensively throughout Washington State while working for WSU. Intent on visiting as many new locations as possible, Pete always picked the most scenic route possible on the way to and from his various obligations around the state. He fondly recalled that there was probably not any location in WA State that he hadn’t visited.
Admired in the family for his artistic talents, Pete freely experimented with all manner of artistic endeavors, from making latch hook rugs while watching football games to creating a stained glass inset for their front door that contained sections devoted to each of his three children. Once he had a vision, Pete was unafraid to try new techniques, with unfailing success. His ability to create all manner of artistically creative keepsakes was envied by the rest of the family.
Pete’s sense of humor was well-known throughout the family and with his friends. He could make a pun out of anything. In fact, the ability to understand, create, and tolerate puns was a survival requirement for attendees at any family gathering from a simple meal or road trip to a big family celebration. He was the king of Dad Jokes, before they were ‘a thing.’ Pete’s strong sense of humor guided the family through thick and thin, becoming his most endearing trademark characteristic.
Truly a Scotsman at heart, Pete’s frugality was legendary. At the end of every project, he kept any left-over pieces in his workshop. To organize and store these odds and ends, Pete created an economical storage system built around neatly labeled Velveeta cheese boxes and wax covered milk cartons. This system traveled to each new residence, growing until it covered an entire wall in his workshop on Lummi Island. It was rare for any small project around the house to need more than a trip to his personal ‘home depot’ for the required components. He also introduced his family to the joys of popcorn popped in leftover bacon grease saved in a large coffee can under the sink. The grease coated brown paper bags filled with this popcorn were the hallmarks of family trips to the drive-in movies.
Above all, Pete loved his family tremendously and went to great lengths to demonstrate that love. From hosting family reunions, to making frequent visits to relatives across the country, Pete ensured his family stayed connected with all branches of the family tree. In the time before Family Leave was a thing, Pete took time off from work and flew across the country to care full time for his first grandchild because day care wasn’t yet available. There were no bounds for his generosity, to include the purchase of a pony and goats at a time when family finances were not exactly flush. When his children were young, he took the family on an adventure almost every Sunday – visiting nearby hot springs, picnics in the mountains, or state and national parks. His family led an enriched life as a result.
In 1998, Pete and Margaret determined their retirement home would be on Lummi Island, where Pete designed and built their dream home on the western shore, overlooking the scenic Straits of Georgia. As a cost saving measure, Pete did as much of the labor as he could… if one man could do a job, Pete did it and only contracted out what he could not. He truly put his heart and soul into “Camcroft” on Lummi Island. Our family, along with Pete’s many friends on the island and from around the world, enjoyed numerous magnificent sunsets, hours of lively conversation, and the bounty of a well-stocked liquor cabinet from the expansive deck of his Lummi Island creation. As in all other previous places he lived, Pete was an active and engaged member of the Lummi Island community. In his 22 years on Lummi, Pete was president of the community water association, school volunteer, Grange member, and an elected Fire Commissioner.
In 2009, the dreary Pacific Northwest winters persuaded Pete and Margaret to buy a second home in Mesa, Arizona, and become snowbirds. They passed eleven winters in the pleasant weather of Arizona, returning to Lummi Island for the gorgeous Pacific Northwest summers. In May of 2020 they sold their Mesa retreat and moved back to Washington, closer to family and their Lummi Island home.
Pete is preceded in death by both of his parents, his sister Elizabeth Van Iderstine, and his brother Robert Cameron. He is survived by his wife Margaret, son Steven (Catherine), daughter Sharon (Steve), daughter Tui (Larry), and grandsons Pete, Evan, and Eric. He left a set of requests, to include a memorial service on Lummi Island. We will pass along info as that event, most likely in late August or early September 2023, comes together.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in the name of Pete Cameron by check to the Lummi Island Fire Fighters Association, PO Box 130, Lummi Island, WA 98262. These funds will be spent to purchase equipment needed for Lummi Island volunteer fire fighters, like boots and jackets. As a result of his stint as a Fire Commissioner, Pete cared deeply about the welfare of those volunteers.
Pete was born in Cleveland, Ohio on September 11, 1930, to Hugh and Ruth Cameron. The family moved to Lakewood, Ohio where Pete graduated from Lakewood High School in 1948. He grew up in Lakewood but developed a long-standing love of nature and rural areas while spending many happy weekends and summers at his grandparents’ farm south of Huron, Ohio. Officially known as Riverbrink Farm (poultry and apples), Pete said they coined it “Heathen’s Haven,” since spending a weekend there meant missing Sunday church services back in Lakewood.
Pete was a US Navy veteran of the Korean War. He enlisted in the US Naval Reserve at the beginning of his senior year in high school, meeting one night each week for training. In college, he transferred to a Navy Reserve air unit at NAS Port Columbus, where Pete worked on Grumman F6F Hellcats as a motor tech striker. This experience ignited a lifelong passion for aviation in Pete, who was always the family resource for identification of any aircraft. After war broke out on the South Korean Peninsula in June 1950, Pete’s college education was interrupted when he was called to active duty in the US Navy and sent overseas. Following 18 months on Guam working in construction for the Navy, Pete returned to the US and was discharged from active duty.
For a year after leaving the Navy, Pete worked a series of odd jobs and construction in Ohio, Oregon, California, and New Mexico, to include helping his brother, Bob, build his house. While some of these jobs pleasantly satisfied his artistic senses, most did not scratch the itch. Ever since writing a paper on dairy farming in 7th grade, Pete’s aim was to become a scientific dairy farmer. Desiring work in agriculture but realizing he did not have the financial wherewithal to purchase a farm, Pete’s mother suggested that he become a farm writer. So, Pete then pursued an education in Agricultural Journalism, earning a BS in Agricultural Economics from Ohio State University in 1954 and an MS in Agricultural Journalism from the University of Wisconsin, in January of 1957. He completed some PhD research at the University of Wisconsin but stopped short of a degree because of the family separation it required.
In December of 1953, he married Margaret, whom Pete had met at church in Artesia, New Mexico, where he had traveled to be the best man at the wedding for one of his Navy buddies. They started married life in Columbus, Ohio, with no debts, a car they fully owned, a full tank of gas, $8.22 in the pocket, and Pete’s $1.25/hr. half-time job.
In 1955 they celebrated the birth of their first child, and shortly afterwards moved to Las Cruces, New Mexico where Pete worked as Assistant Editor with the New Mexico State University Ag Department. This was the first in a string of seven moves crisscrossing the nation as Pete progressed up the ranks in the field of agricultural journalism at five different land-grant colleges. After the birth of their second child, Pete and Margaret moved to Bozeman, Montana. They returned for a year to Madison as Pete pursued a PhD, then moved from Bozeman after birth of their third child, to Morgantown, West Virginia. Then it was on to Blacksburg, Virginia, and ultimately Pullman, Washington, where Pete retired from his agricultural journalism career. Each of these long moves produced many pleasant family memories while visiting relatives, camping (never a hotel!), and visiting many natural wonders across the country.
At each new domicile, Pete was an active and contributing member of the local community. He held all offices in Toastmasters including president and didn’t let bureaucracy stop him from helping others. Pete was a Cub Scout Pack Master and Den Mother at a time when Scouts didn’t let men hold that job. Margaret was the registered Den Mother, but Pete filled the role because most of the kids in the pack were from single mother homes and he felt they needed a father figure.
Living in seven states throughout the country, Pete developed a love for travel and exploring new and different locations. By his own account, he visited “over 32 countries, 5 seas, and 7 rivers,” most of them with Margaret. In recent years, Pete and Margaret traveled the world on many cruises, but probably their most memorable travel was a six-week 1993 trip to Kazakhstan as part of the Farmer to Farmer Program. Closer to home, Pete traveled extensively throughout Washington State while working for WSU. Intent on visiting as many new locations as possible, Pete always picked the most scenic route possible on the way to and from his various obligations around the state. He fondly recalled that there was probably not any location in WA State that he hadn’t visited.
Admired in the family for his artistic talents, Pete freely experimented with all manner of artistic endeavors, from making latch hook rugs while watching football games to creating a stained glass inset for their front door that contained sections devoted to each of his three children. Once he had a vision, Pete was unafraid to try new techniques, with unfailing success. His ability to create all manner of artistically creative keepsakes was envied by the rest of the family.
Pete’s sense of humor was well-known throughout the family and with his friends. He could make a pun out of anything. In fact, the ability to understand, create, and tolerate puns was a survival requirement for attendees at any family gathering from a simple meal or road trip to a big family celebration. He was the king of Dad Jokes, before they were ‘a thing.’ Pete’s strong sense of humor guided the family through thick and thin, becoming his most endearing trademark characteristic.
Truly a Scotsman at heart, Pete’s frugality was legendary. At the end of every project, he kept any left-over pieces in his workshop. To organize and store these odds and ends, Pete created an economical storage system built around neatly labeled Velveeta cheese boxes and wax covered milk cartons. This system traveled to each new residence, growing until it covered an entire wall in his workshop on Lummi Island. It was rare for any small project around the house to need more than a trip to his personal ‘home depot’ for the required components. He also introduced his family to the joys of popcorn popped in leftover bacon grease saved in a large coffee can under the sink. The grease coated brown paper bags filled with this popcorn were the hallmarks of family trips to the drive-in movies.
Above all, Pete loved his family tremendously and went to great lengths to demonstrate that love. From hosting family reunions, to making frequent visits to relatives across the country, Pete ensured his family stayed connected with all branches of the family tree. In the time before Family Leave was a thing, Pete took time off from work and flew across the country to care full time for his first grandchild because day care wasn’t yet available. There were no bounds for his generosity, to include the purchase of a pony and goats at a time when family finances were not exactly flush. When his children were young, he took the family on an adventure almost every Sunday – visiting nearby hot springs, picnics in the mountains, or state and national parks. His family led an enriched life as a result.
In 1998, Pete and Margaret determined their retirement home would be on Lummi Island, where Pete designed and built their dream home on the western shore, overlooking the scenic Straits of Georgia. As a cost saving measure, Pete did as much of the labor as he could… if one man could do a job, Pete did it and only contracted out what he could not. He truly put his heart and soul into “Camcroft” on Lummi Island. Our family, along with Pete’s many friends on the island and from around the world, enjoyed numerous magnificent sunsets, hours of lively conversation, and the bounty of a well-stocked liquor cabinet from the expansive deck of his Lummi Island creation. As in all other previous places he lived, Pete was an active and engaged member of the Lummi Island community. In his 22 years on Lummi, Pete was president of the community water association, school volunteer, Grange member, and an elected Fire Commissioner.
In 2009, the dreary Pacific Northwest winters persuaded Pete and Margaret to buy a second home in Mesa, Arizona, and become snowbirds. They passed eleven winters in the pleasant weather of Arizona, returning to Lummi Island for the gorgeous Pacific Northwest summers. In May of 2020 they sold their Mesa retreat and moved back to Washington, closer to family and their Lummi Island home.
Pete is preceded in death by both of his parents, his sister Elizabeth Van Iderstine, and his brother Robert Cameron. He is survived by his wife Margaret, son Steven (Catherine), daughter Sharon (Steve), daughter Tui (Larry), and grandsons Pete, Evan, and Eric. He left a set of requests, to include a memorial service on Lummi Island. We will pass along info as that event, most likely in late August or early September 2023, comes together.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in the name of Pete Cameron by check to the Lummi Island Fire Fighters Association, PO Box 130, Lummi Island, WA 98262. These funds will be spent to purchase equipment needed for Lummi Island volunteer fire fighters, like boots and jackets. As a result of his stint as a Fire Commissioner, Pete cared deeply about the welfare of those volunteers.