Franklin “Camp” Bacon, Jr.

Franklin “Camp” Bacon, Jr., died December 19, 2023, following a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s. Camp was born September 22, 1942, in Rome, Georgia to Col. Franklin Camp Bacon, Sr. and Marjorie Caldwell Bacon. His father, a career Marine, was serving on Guadalcanal at the time. Camp grew up on Marine bases around the world, graduating from high school in Morocco. He graduated from Georgia Tech with a B.S. and a M.S. in Industrial Engineering and began his life long work in the kaolin industry with Freeport Kaolin, for whom he had co-oped as a student. He loved the kaolin industry and earned several patents during his long tenure with Freeport. He earned the deep admiration of his colleagues, landowners and business professionals around the world for his honesty, integrity, deep knowledge of the kaolin and paper industries, and unfailing courtesy. After Englehard acquired Freeport, Camp moved to Evans Clay, where he was Vice-President and General Manager. Later he was a partner at Impex, with former kaolin executives John Williamson and Joe Ianicelli. Camp’s extensive knowledge of the geology of kaolin and the industry qualified him as an expert witness in condemnation cases in Middle Georgia. Camp was a Renaissance Man, deeply curious about life, history, philosophy, art and music. He read widely, favoring in fiction the authors Farley Mowat and Kurt Vonnegut. His favorite non- fiction book was The Lessons of History by Will and Ariel Durant, which distilled their observations after concluding their 10 volume The Story of Civilization. He loved music, and usually had a tape or CD playing while he worked. Among his favorites were Beethoven’s 9th, Dory Previn, John Prine, Lyle Lovett, and bluegrass. He was a naturalist and loved being on the river, enjoying especially whitewater canoeing. For a time he was a beekeeper, and studied the plants, trees and wildflowers of his beloved Georgia. He loved dogs and rescued them. He and his wife, Nancy Terrill, rescued and raised 28 during their long marriage. Camp was sensitive to the suffering of others and was a quiet philanthropist. He loved movies and was a co-founder and President Emeritus of the Macon Guild, delighting in bringing independent and foreign films to Macon that would not otherwise be available on the big screen. For his work, the Macon Arts Alliance honored him with a Cultural Arts Award. And while Camp was in demeanor a calm man, inside lived a NASCAR driver, fully evident when he was behind the wheel of a car, or moving at an accelerated pace across the kaolin plant or his living room. He was a mobile unit. Camp is survived by his wife, Nancy Terrill, brothers Paul(Marti) Bacon and John (Sandy) Bacon, and sister-in-law, Ann Terrill:  nephew Paul (Beth Lyons) Bacon, Jr., nieces Calli Bacon, Robyn Zickerman, Terrill Rose Legueri, Aryn Legueri, and  Casey Mason, grand-nieces  Lucia Bacon and Charlotte Zickerman;  grandnephew, Jack Bacon; cousins Hunter Bacon, Johnnye Ann Lee, Delle Taylor, Howard Bacon, Alan Bacon, Kinney Bacon, Rob Bacon, Mark Bacon, Susan Baetzel, Roger Bacon, Beth Bacon, Butch Moodie, Debra Belcher, Ricky Drexel, David Drexel, Marion Fallin, Slade Bacon, Joy Sawyer, Angel Shinn, Merry Bacon, Nathaniel Bacon, Raymond Bacon and Jason Kinchen. A celebration of Camp’s life will be held Saturday, January 27, 2024 from 4 pm - 7 pm at the Douglass Theatre Annex, 355 MLK Boulevard, Macon, Georgia. Camp specified that his ashes be strewn on the Ocmulgee River at Dames Ferry at full flood - clearly, a time to be set by nature.

Please visit www.hartsmort.com to express condolences.

Hart’s on Cherry Street, Hart's Mortuary and Cremation Center, 765 Cherry Street, Macon, GA 31201 has charge of the arrangements.