Camille Marie Fontenot Springer, known for her vitality, warmth, short stature and huge heart, died on December 19, 2025. She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend.

Camille was born on August 22, 1943, to her parents Marvin Derouen and Marie Bernice ["Tot"] Hebert in Cocoa Beach, Florida. On January 29, 1945, Marvin was killed with 249 of his shipmates when the USS Serpens exploded in Guadalcanal (this remains the largest single disaster in US Coast Guard history).

Tot brought 17-month-old Camille back to her hometown of Bell City, Louisiana. After the war, she married Charles Ridley Fontenot, Marvin's cousin and a classmate of Tot's. Camille never forgot her birth father and, in 2019, honored him with a plaque about the USS Serpens at the Nimitz Museum. Ridley, however, was the "Dad" she cherished.

After her family settled in Houston, Camille gained four brothers: Chuck, Michael, Stephen and David. She graduated from Mt. Carmel High School in 1961. As a classmate describes her, she could be counted on to bring her tiny frame with full enthusiasm wherever she went.

Earning a teaching degree at Dominican College [Houston] in 1966, Camille initially married and lived in Japan and Taiwan, where her husband, John Whittington, was stationed with the Air Force. Their daughter, Rachel, entered their lives in 1973 after their return to Texas. Camille married William Randolph Springer ["Randy"] in 1988, also gaining his son, Alex.

Camille taught in the Houston Public School system for 25 years, including tenures at Memorial and Gallegos elementary schools. A lifelong learner, Camille became certified as a school librarian and teacher technologist. She entered the field of educational publication and consultation after leaving the classroom.

Over time, the Texas Hill Country became Camille and Randy's home. For 27 years, they enjoyed the view of Fredericksburg from their ranch, The Swinging J, which sat at the top of the hill on Meusebach Road. They relocated to Heritage Hills in 2022.

Camille was a renowned hostess. She studied culinary arts and was an excellent cook. Her home was always welcoming, and her smile put everyone at ease. She once admitted that as a young woman she yearned to be sophisticated (her love of expensive perfume was well known). In fact, she exceeded mere sophistication with authenticity and her generosity of spirit.

Camille was always active in her community as with her family. With an extensive branch of relatives in Louisiana, she was in the center of planning reunions year after year. Camille was the matriarch of an incredible group of cousins! She orchestrated every holiday for her Texas family and remains synonymous with the word "celebration."

As a proud member of PEO, a Philanthropic Educational Organization that helps girls attend college and earn graduate degrees, Camille carried her commitment to education forward. In her last years of life, her passion was playing Mah Jong with a circle of women bound not just by friendship, but by loyalty, laughter, and shared life. In that close-knit group of Mah Jong enthusiasts, she offered kindness without condition and love without hesitation. Today, that circle feels incomplete, though the bond they shared with her is not broken.

Camille, always the life (if not the originator) of the party, remained vital up until her last weeks. Her illness was a shock to those who loved her. Thankfully, Hospice in Methodist Hill Country gave us a chance to say goodbye. She died a peaceful death.

Camille is preceded in death by her father, Marvin (1945), her mother, Tot (1969), her dad, Ridley (2011), and her brother, David (2025). She is survived by her husband Randy; her daughter Rachel and husband Jeremy with their foster daughter Everlee; stepson Alex and wife Jessica with grandchildren Piper, Phletcher and Pacer; bothers Chuck, Michael and wife Sarah, Stephen and wife Carrilynn; multiple loving nieces and nephews (each who delighted surpassing Aunt Camille in height), and many cousins and families in Louisiana and Texas.

Gifts in lieu of flowers may be made to Little Hearts Child Development Center (https://www.littleheartsfbg.org/give or PO Box 2107, Fredericksburg, TX 78624). Camille's ashes will be placed with her mother and family in Bell City, LA., and Celebrations of Life will be held in 2026, both dates pending.