Curt Randall Camac Dr.

Curt R. Camac, 54, of Salem, passed away on October 6, 2012. Dr. Camac was professor of psychology at Roanoke College, where he taught for 26 years. He chaired the department for the last 8 years, during which it grew substantially in size and reputation. Before coming to Roanoke, he earned his B.S. in Criminal Justice and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Delaware. Born on February 25th, 1958 in Wilmington, Delaware, Curt was the son of Charles W. Camac of Williston, Florida and the late Loretta L. (Crompton) Rittenhouse of Salem. In addition to his mother, Curt was preceded in death by his brother, Charles Andrew Camac and his step-father, Donald L. Rittenhouse. He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Mary Faulhaber Camac; daughters Lauren and Emily Camac; his father Charles Camac (Lisa); a brother, Christopher Camac (Toni Lynn); uncles Frank and Albert Crompton (Martina) and Frank Torbert (Peg); cousins Walter, Jeff and Hans Crompton and Edward, Kenny and Larry Lester. Also surviving are his mother-in-law Barbara Caffrey Faulhaber, brothers-in-law Karl and Michael Faulhaber, David Warren, and sisters-in-law Amy Haddow and Suzanne Warren, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Curt grew up in both Hollywood, Florida and Delaware. As a boy, he was one of the top Judo competitors in the country. He graduated from Hollywood Hills High School in 1976, winning the scholar-athlete award after 3 years as a starting linesman on Hills state-championship football team. Despite his ability to knock down extremely large people, at 56 and 165 lbs, Curt realized that physics would eventually win and wisely decided to focus on academics. Curt loved history and the law, and intended to become a law professor. However, finances and romance conspired to take him from SUNY Buffalo law school after three days and move him to Princeton NJ to be with his wife, who was in graduate school there. They had dated for 10 weeks, eloping just before going off to school. Curt then decided to pursue another love, social psychology. Having completed a senior honors thesis in psychology at Delaware with Dr. Michael Kuhlman, Curt decided to return there, earning his Ph.D. in 1986. He was hired by Roanoke that year. One of his proudest accomplishments at Roanoke was his success in promoting student research. He worked with over 50 students, often on multiple projects, inspiring many to earn advanced degrees. He also led the college-wide summer scholar program for 8 years. Curt was a great teacher and a brilliant, principled, hard-working man. He deeply loved his wife and daughters. He was a fabulous cook and a talented artist. He loved his dogs and his many gadgets, family vacations at the beach, starting home improvement projects, and listening to music. He will live on in our minds and hearts. The family is grateful for the excellent care provided by the staff at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, and especially treasures Dr. Donald Steinweg of Carilion Clinic, whose medical relationship with Curt was built on a foundation of mutual respect and affection. A service to celebrate Curts life will be held on Saturday, October 27th at 11:00 a.m. in the chapel of John M. Oakey & Son funeral home in Salem. Afterward, a reception will be held at Monterey, a historic house on the Roanoke College campus at the corner of Clay and High Streets.