Wesley Forney Cameron

Wesley Forney Cameron of Rising Sun, MD, age 71, passed away Thursday, March 25, 2021. He was born in Elkton, MD on November 26, 1949 to the late Walter Merrice Cameron Jr. and Edith Helen Forney. You will find this obituary reaches the public with a lack of punctuality which is consistent with “Cameron Time.”

Wesley lived all his life, sparing a few years, in Rising Sun, MD. In his adolescence, Wesley and his siblings would run amuck throughout the town and nearby at the family owned Cameron Brothers Cannery. He would frequently ride his bike to Bob Durgin’s farm where he learned the basics of his farming knowledge and developed a passion for all things agricultural.

Growing up on Queen Street, the family home was across from the firehouse. Wesley was a life member of the Community Fire Company of Rising Sun, which he joined in 1965 at the age of 16, following after his father and older brother. Throughout his vocation as a volunteer member, he participated on numerous committees, and held many positions, most notably achieving the rank of Assistant Chief and President. Agreeable by many, Wesley was instrumental in the progression of the fire service trade. Wesley was also a paid firefighter at Bainbridge Naval Base and later, at Aberdeen Proving Ground.

In the 1980’s, Wesley started mowing grass in his off time to earn extra money to buy a boat. That venture grew into operating Blades Contracting with his brother, Charles, for almost a decade. Among many projects, including small scale site work, they completed the original landscaping of Diddie Richardson and Stubbs Hill parks in Rising Sun. Wesley never did buy a boat.

Wesley was self-employed as an owner/operator truck driver for over 50 years, transporting a wide array of goods, from onions to military vehicles, all over the contiguous 48 states and Canada. He greatly enjoyed the combination of farming and trucking by hauling grain during harvest season for Albeck Farms in Rising Sun, MD and Bob Willoughby Sr. and Jr. in Port Penn, DE.

After retiring his lease with Mawson & Mawson, Wesley was able to devote more of his time to his love of farming and actively began to collect tractors and implements, most notably plows. In recent years, Wesley joined the Pennsylvania State Plowmen’s Association and in 2019, he won first place at the annual plowing competition in the Antique Class.

Wesley will be deeply missed by his wife of 35 years, Betsy Fry Cameron; daughters, Tommie Colleen Pasley and Alexander Jourdan Harkins (Brandon); brand new grandson born May 6th, Lonnie Scott Harkins; identical twin brother, Charles Scott Cameron, Sr. (Debbie); sister, Christine Biddle Scarlett (George); nephews, Charles Jr., Blaine, and Steven Cameron; and niece, Lauren Cameron. Wesley is also survived by his most beloved dog, Daisy, whom he greatly cherished despite her blind eye and poor dentition.

In addition to his parents, Wesley was preceded in death by his eldest brother, Walter Merrice “Tubo” Cameron III.

No matter the subject: fire tactics, the best route to a destination, or if “the ground is fit” for tillage; when you spent time with Wesley Cameron, you were bound to learn one thing or another. Even if what you learned is that you disagree with his opinion, although, this occurrence was least common! A few things we can take away from him are to “take it easy” and always make time for a beverage (coffee or bourbon, with respect to the time of day) and fellowship with friends.

It is not Wesley’s fashion to have “wailing and gnashing of teeth” to commemorate his death. Instead, his life will be toasted to accordingly at a Celebration of Life party on Saturday, June 19th beginning at 3:00pm, hosted at the Community Fire Company of Rising Sun located at 300 Joseph Biggs Memorial Highway, Rising Sun, MD 21911. All those whose lives have been impacted by Wesley are encouraged to attend.