With great sadness, we announce that Patricia A. (Sweet) Camper, 89, of Burlington, Vt., passed away on September 8, 2026, from complications following surgery, surrounded by close family and supported by the love and prayers of family and friends.
Born on February 5, 1937, Patricia grew up in Monkton Ridge, Vt., with her parents, Theodore and Isabel (Devoid) Sweet, and nine siblings. She was the last surviving sibling, following the death of her younger sister, Kathleen Guyette, in 2022.
She attended Burlington High School, raised her family in Vermont and moved to Orlando, Fla., in 1978. Patricia worked for many years as a nurse’s assistant, passionate about caring for others, especially during the most challenging times of their lives.
In July 1962, she married her husband, Wayne Camper, in Burlington, Vt. Together, they raised six children: Norman Gordon, Gary Gordon, Eric Camper, Douglas Camper, Rick Camper and their only daughter, Pam Isham. They later retired to Winter Haven, Fla. After her husband’s death, Patricia moved to Georgia in 2022 to be closer to family, beginning the final chapter of her life.
Patricia became a Jehovah’s Witness in 1975 and often talked to others about her belief in Jehovah, finding peace and comfort in the teachings of the Bible. She had many friends, or brothers and sisters, in all congregations she attended, most recently the congregation of Greenville, Ga. She loved gardening, having been raised on a farm, and was known to have a green thumb. You would not be able to walk into her home without being offered a home-cooked meal. She delighted in preparing meals and desserts for family and guests. With support from her nearby son, Eric, Patricia lived independently until she was hospitalized in September. Her appreciation for the beauty of God’s creation, her home-cooked meals and warm apple pies, her willingness to listen and help those in need, and her laughter and her love for others will be deeply missed and never forgotten.
Patricia is survived by her children and their spouses, Gary and Carolyn Gordon, Eric and Deborah Camper, Rick Camper, and Pamela and Thomas Isham; 14 grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren.
She is predeceased by her parents; her siblings, Alfred (DeGraff), Helen (DeGraff), Doris (DeGraff), Mildred Bove, Irene Emmons, Richard Sweet, Erwin Sweet, Earl Sweet and Kathleen Guyette; her children Douglas Camper and Norman Gordon; and her husband, Wayne Camper.
A memorial service will take place on September 26, 2026, 2 p.m., at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Greenville, Ga.