Photograph: Cam Leach
Carola Lillie Hartley
Publisher and Contributing Writer
Opelousas lost a good citizen in September of 2003 when Cam Leach passed away. I knew Cam and considered her a good friend. I was away from home when she died and was really saddened when I received the news of her death. Cam was a wonderful person, a real lady. She worked so hard for the Opelousas community. Here is her story, from my personal viewpoint.
Who was Cam Leach?
Mamie Camella “Cam” Johnson Leach was the daughter of Robert H. Johnson and Ora Hammett Johnson. Cam was raised in Deridder and lived there until she accepted a job as comptroller for the City of Opelousas under Mayor John Joseph. She later was manager and co-owner of the Best Western Motel in Opelousas.
Cam lived out the remaining years of her life in Opelousas. She died at Opelousas General Hospital on Wednesday, September 3, 2003, at the age of 62 years. Her funeral service was held in the Louisiana Memorial United Methodist Church in Opelousas. She was buried in the Beauregard Memorial Cemetery in Deridder, LA.
Personal Memories of Cam
I met Cam Leach for the first time in the early 1970s when we were both members of the Louisiana Jaycee Jaynes serving our communities. I was with the Opelousas chapter and Cam was with her home chapter of Deridder, LA. At the time I was a Regional Vice President and during one of my trip to Deridder I met Cam. Although our meeting was brief, she made a lasting impression on me. I could tell she was a special person.
Our paths crossed again in the 1980s when she moved to Opelousas to work as comptroller for the city. We were co-workers and immediately became friends.
Cam was hired for her job with the city by Opelousas Mayor John Joseph, and she served throughout his administration plus the administration of Mayor Mike Thibodeaux. When she was hired Mayor Joseph said he was impressed with her resumé and experience in the financial field. “We worked well together,” Joseph said. “With her assistance we were able to put Opelousas in a positive financial position that continued throughout her time with the city.”
Cam was a dedicated worker; someone you could depend on. She was tireless on the job, and she expected no less of the people she worked with. She brought that same energy to her civic and volunteer work. Cam was involved in the community in many ways, through her church, through the Rotary Club, through several city committees and through the Opelousas Little Theater.
I had the privilege to work with her on the Opelousas Tourism and Activities Committee, the Main Street Opelousas organization and the Opelousas Rural Economic and Community Development Committee. She was there for meetings, activities and events, often times working behind the scenes to make sure things were done in the right way. That was Cam!
She was an inspiration to me personally, and to so many others I know. She was always there for anyone in times of need. I can remember when she came to my aid. She was that way with everyone — a true friend.
When Cam completed her work with the city, she remained in Opelousas, her adopted hometown. She didn’t have to stay in Opelousas; she chose to live here. And she was more than just an active civic-minded person; she was a model citizen. She loved her church, her family, her friends and her town. She gave so much of herself to Opelousas and her death created a void that was never filled.
So, as we end another National Women’s History Month, I want us all to remember Cam Leach. It’s been almost twenty years since we lost her. As I write this article searching for words to describe her, I can think of many — honest, hard-working, dedicated, straight-forward, intelligent, beautiful, faithful, civic-minded, etc. But the word that has the most meaning to me personally is FRIEND. I still miss her dearly.
