Camilla Hoes Pope, 87

Obituary by Covenant Funeral Service.

Camilla Hoes Pope, a caring and principled lady who lived the last four decades of her life in Fredericksburg and Stafford County, passed away on November 14, 2015.

Camilla was born the second of five children in Berlin, Germany, on January 27, 1928. She grew up in a happy, well-to-do family, until the Second World War tore the family apart. Her father was an important banker in Berlin, but no friend of the Nazi government. Camilla and her younger siblings fled to Silesia to escape the bombing of Berlin, and from there fled again from the Russian invasion back to Berlin shortly before the end of the war in 1945. From 1946 on she studied German and English in Berlin and became a teacher at the secondary level.

Under a teacher exchange program between the U.S. and Germany, Camilla came to Scranton, Pennsylvania on a Fulbright Scholarship. She met her first husband, Laurence Gouverneur Hoes, when she was visiting Fredericksburg one weekend. She encountered Laurence, the great-great grandson of President James Monroe and founding director of the James Monroe Museum, as he was closing the building for the night. He reopened the building to give Camilla a personal tour, and then asked her to dinner!

Camilla and Laurence were married on April 4, 1970 in the garden of the James Monroe Museum. The couple divided their time between the U.S. and Germany. They traveled extensively, and even dined at the White House. The death of Laurence Hoes in 1978 was very hard for Camilla. His ashes are interred in the garden of the James Monroe Museum, and she continued working to preserve his vision for the museum that he founded.

Several years later Camilla married Charles W. Pope, who was also widowed. She once again led a very happy life, in their peaceful home that they called Long View as it overlooked Aquia Creek. She and Charles, whom Camilla often said never spoke a harsh word, filled their days with music, gardening, caring for their property, and visiting with friends and neighbors. Years later, when Charles was stricken with Alzheimer’s disease and bedridden, Camilla accepted his disability with grace and cared for him devotedly at their home for the final six years of his life.

After Charles’ death in 1998, Camilla was active and energetic. She loved and remained close to her family in Germany, as well as her friends in the United States. Her Catholic faith was a key part of her life. She stayed involved with the James Monroe Museum and was received at the Executive Mansion in Richmond in recognition of her participation in supporting the Monroe legacy.

Over her 87 years, Camilla had a full and eventful life. She was healthy and strong in mind and body until a few months before her death. Camilla will be missed by her family and the many people who came to know and love her.

The family will receive friends from 5-7 p.m. on Monday, November 30 at Covenant Funeral Service, Stafford. Her funeral will be at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, December 1 at St. William of York Catholic Church, followed by burial at the Aquia Episcopal Church Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Friends of the James Monroe Museum, 908 Charles Street, Fredericksburg, VA, 22401.