Longtime Spokane Car Dealer, Jerry Camp Sr., Dies At Age 84
Jeremiah “Jerry” Camp Sr., owner of one of Spokane’s largest car dealerships, died Monday.
Camp, 84, owned Camp Automotive Inc. He bought a Chevrolet dealership in 1961 and turned it into one of the state’s largest, adding a number of imported car lines.
Department of Licensing figures list Camp as No. 15 in the state in new car sales. The only Spokane dealers above Camp on that list are Appleway Automotive Group and Wendle Ford/Nissan/Isuzu Inc.
The Camp dealerships sell more than 2,000 new cars per year, including Subaru, BMW, Saab, Volvo, Geo and Chevrolet.
Chuck Scott, who retired as general manager in 1983 after 41 years of working with Jerry Camp, attributes Camp’s success to his devotion to his business and his treatment of customers and employees.
“He was a wonderful boss, but he really wasn’t like a boss,” Scott said. “There wasn’t any feeling of I’m over you, or you’re over me.”
“He was compassionate and fair with his customers, a terrific boss,” said a tearful Val Kimpson, who’s been with Camp for 27 years. “He made everybody feel comfortable.”
Until three years ago, Camp would be the first at the office every day, family members said.
“He loved greeting people. If they had a complaint, he’d take care of it, even at 81 years old,” said his son, Jerry Camp Jr. “He built this place. He was very proud of it.”
Camp entered the auto business in 1948, going to work as sales manager at Harms-Rofinot Chevrolet at 1324 W. Third. In 1958, the business became Harms-Camp Chevrolet when Camp bought half the business. In 1961, Camp bought out Arthur Harms.
A progressive thinker, Camp in 1966 bought the former home of Union Iron Works at 101 E. Montgomery, a 12.5-acre site.
“When they did it, they were moving to the boonies,” said Chris Marr, president of the Spokane New Car Dealers Association. But, Marr said, Camp “was a visionary. He understood where retail development would happen.”
Camp added Subarus to the business in 1987 and in 1989, bought a BMW-Saab dealership.
Camp has a reputation for running a family-oriented business. He didn’t open on Sundays and three of his sons and one granddaughter followed him into the business.
“The family atmosphere more or less permeates,” Marr said. “You can’t help but go in and run into a member of the Camp family.”
If all car dealers ran their businesses the way Camp did, said Dick Wendle of Wendle Ford, “our image would be right at the top. He was honest, sincere, and his word was like gold.”
Camp, born and raised in LaCrosse, Wash., attended Washington State University and was a devoted Cougar fan. He raised money for the football team, traveled with them and and never missed a game until he fell ill two years ago.
“When I was born, he was singing the Cougar fight song,” joked Jerry Jr.
Camp is survived by his wife, Georgia “Jo” Camp; three sons, Phillip, Christopher and Jerry Camp Jr., all of Spokane; one daughter, Julie McKay of Park City, Utah; 14 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Graveside service for Camp will be at 11 a.m. Friday at LaCrosse Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Memorial contributions may be made to the WSU Foundation, Pullman, WA 99163 or to The Spokesman-Review Christmas Fund, P.O. Box 516, Spokane, Wash., 99210.
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