Daniel Lee DeCamp, 81, went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, October 9, 2021, at SOMC Hospice in Portsmouth. Dan was born September 4, 1940, in Portsmouth, Ohio to the late Thomas Lowe DeCamp and Sadie Irene York DeCamp.
Dan was a 1958 graduate of Wheelersburg High School where he was an outstanding all-around athlete. He earned a full scholarship to play football as a quarterback at Bemidji State University in Minnesota, where he was later inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011. Stationed in Germany, Dan proudly served his country in the armed forces during the Vietnam War.
He was the owner of Dan’s Sporting Goods and retired from NS Railroad as a Conductor. He was a member of the Wheelersburg First Church of Christ where he served in several capacities. He was previously a Deacon, later and most recently an Elder, Sunday School teacher, Sunday Service leader, and headed the Feed the Students Mission. He was a member of Western Sun Masonic Lodge #91 where he served as Worshipful Master in 1976 and again in 2020. He was also a member of The Scottish Rite of Cincinnati. Dan stayed physically active throughout his life and won The Life Center Fitness Challenge in 2005. An avid golfer, Dan was on the course daily weather permitting. He enjoyed sports, especially football, and attended as many games as he could. Dan loved the outdoors and was passionate about a well-manicured lawn.
Most importantly, Dan loved spending time with his family. His vision of having a permanent location for The Annual Labor Day Family Reunion became in reality in 2014 with the building of the DeCamp Family Memorial Shelter House in Wheelersburg, where he joyfully maintained the role of groundskeeper until this last year.
In addition to his parents, Dan was preceded in death by three brothers, John, Tom, and William “Bill” DeCamp, and a sister, Peggy Young. Dan is survived by his wife, Shirley Cooper DeCamp whom he married on June 30, 1962, at Lakeside Church, New Boston.
Dan is survived by a son, Brad M. (Nikki) DeCamp; a daughter, Amy (Dan) Rase; a brother, Donald “Butch” DeCamp; two sisters, Judy Arbaugh and Becky Teagarden; grandchildren, Lauren (Justin), Matt, Zach, Reese, Taylor, Bailey and Bradley, and great-grandchildren, Cooper and Ella.
Services for Dan will be 11:00 am Wednesday, October 13, 2021, at First Church of Christ, Dogwood Ridge with Sam Cooke and Rase Martin officiating. Interment with graveside Military Honors will follow at Memorial Burial Park.
The family will receive friends at Harrison-Pyles Funeral Home in Wheelersburg, 4:00-7:00 pm Tuesday, October 12, 2021, with Masonic Services at 7:00 pm and from 10:00-11:00 am at the church on Wednesday.
The family requests memorial contributions to be made in Dan’s name to First Church of Christ Feed the Students Mission.
Condolences to the family may be made at www.harrison-pyles.com.