Marki Hawes

Camille was my oldest and one of my dearest friends. The Clarke’s moved in across the street from the Hawes family in 1959. Little did we know at the time that Camille and I would grow (kind of) old together. My sisters and I always looked up at Camille as the way we should act, dress and behave because we all thought that Camille was the perfect role model. She quickly became our chosen sister for life. After I moved back to Dade City into the family home in 2003, Camille and I resumed our sisterhood. Most weekend mornings I would be on her patio, and evenings she would be on my back porch with her Jack Daniels and Pepsi. We became “second Mama’s” to each other’s children and joyfully shared our grandchildren. Mostly we shared our laughs, sometimes our sorrows, but always our secrets, hopes and fears. We were each other’s sounding boards and we always knew we could be honest with each other. I’ve been blessed with a wonderful family and incredible friendships. I will always cherish my memories of Camille.