Camille H. Goffe

CAMILLE HOLTAM GOFFE Camille Holtam Goffe was born on October 2, 1921, in Macon, Mississippi, to Irene and Harry Holtam. Camille grew up during the difficult years of the Depression, and attended Gibson Elementary School and Woodlawn High School in Birmingham, where she played saxophone and clarinet in the band and orchestra. After high school, Camille attended business school becoming proficient in accounting and office skills so that she could seek immediate employment and assist in supporting her family. She was employed by the Sherwin Williams Paint Company in Birmingham, Alabama and also continued to pursue her musical interests on the side. While in New Orleans on tour with an all-girl jazz combo, Camille met John Goffe, whom she later married. As a result of her excellent work in Birmingham, Camille accepted a job in Atlanta, Georgia as a civilian employee for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. She received a promotion and relocated to Washington, DC, and served during the challenging years of World War II and the Cold War. She achieved top security clearance and was awarded numerous commendations during her service to our country. In 1954, she married John Quentin Goffe, and they settled in Arlington, Virginia and subsequently had two children, daughter, Jerri and son Brian. In 1960, at the time of her husband’s retirement from the U.S. Marine Corps, Camille resigned from her job and relocated, with her husband and children, to West Palm Beach, Florida. She devoted herself to the education and activities of her children for the next 20 years, and was very active in community and school organizations such as Parent-Teacher Organization, Band Parents, Choral Boosters, and numerous church activities. She had a particular interest in the missions of the church. She was also active in politics, and served for many years as a local representative of the Republican National Committee. In 1975, having raised her children to adulthood, Camille returned to her civil service career in the West Palm Beach office of the Internal Revenue Service. She continued to rise in the ranks until her retirement in 1993. She was respected by her colleagues for her excellent work for assisting her clients with the management of their accounts. She was known as exacting and fair in her work with both colleagues and clients. Upon her retirement from civil service, Camille returned to what was undeniably her true calling: music. She will be best remembered by the countless students she assisted through the years. No effort was too small or too great for her, and she always persisted with a smile and kind words until she had accomplished her goals. Camille volunteered many hours as a teaching aide in the music program at Lantana Middle School, where her daughter Jerri served as band director. She provided private and small group instruction for band students, most of whom did not have the benefit of private lessons. She also served as chaperone and driver for music trips. Her contributions and commitment to her students reflected her enthusiastic and tireless personality. She continued to volunteer until her health declined to the level in 2006 that she was no longer able to visit the school. Camille Goffe was preceded in death by her son, Brian, and her husband, John. She is survived by her daughter Jerri Goffe of Lantana, granddaughter Ashley E. Leland of Boynton Beach, and her brother Harry D. Holtam of Birmingham, Alabama. Funeral Services will be held 11:00 AM Saturday, October 11, 2008 at TILLMAN FUNERAL HOME, 2170 S. Military Trail, West Palm Beach, the Rev. Sherman Dibble presiding. Private interment will take place at South Florida VA National Cemetery, Lake Worth. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Horizon Baptist Church, Post Office Box 1368, Loxahatchee, FL 33470