The Florida RV Trade Association is saddened to share the passing of longtime FRVTA Board Member and campground industry leader George Lempenau, who passed away on July 31, 2026, at the age of 81.
For decades, George was a familiar face within the Florida RV and campground community. As FRVTA’s Campground Director, he brought the perspective of campground owners and operators to the Association’s leadership and was a dedicated advocate for an industry that became both his profession and a major part of his life. FRVTA records show George serving as Campground Director for many years, representing this important segment of Florida’s RV industry on the state board.
George’s path to the campground business began far from Florida. Born December 30, 1944, in Buffalo, New York, he attended the University of Buffalo before beginning his career with Westinghouse Electric Corp. His entrepreneurial nature soon took him into sales and real estate, where he built a portfolio of rental properties while developing the hands-on business skills that would serve him throughout his life.
After vacationing in Florida in the late 1980s, George and his wife, Jonica “Johnny” Lempenau, began thinking about trading Buffalo winters for a new life in the Sunshine State. Their sons, Lenny and Andrew, were enthusiastic about the idea, and in 1992 the family purchased the Peace River Campground in Arcadia.
What followed became a true family business and a lasting part of Florida’s campground community.
Under the Lempenau family, Peace River Campground grew from approximately 175 sites when it was purchased to more than 225 sites, while maintaining the outdoor recreation and family atmosphere that has defined the property. Today, the campground encompasses 160 acres along the Peace River, and a new generation of the Lempenau family continues to be involved in its operation.
George’s involvement in the industry extended well beyond his own campground. He held positions with campground owners’ associations and RV-related organizations and developed friendships and professional relationships throughout the industry. He was someone who understood the issues campground owners faced because he lived them every day as an owner and operator.
That experience made his involvement with the FRVTA especially valuable. George represented the campground side of an industry that depends on many different businesses working together — dealers, manufacturers, suppliers, service companies, campgrounds and RV resorts. His years of participation helped ensure campground owners had a voice within the Association and strengthened the connection between Florida’s campground community and the broader RV industry.
Those who knew George also knew that he was never one to simply sit on the sidelines.
In Arcadia, he was a regular at local government meetings and was easily recognizable in his signature red shirt, suspenders and boots. At the campground, he threw himself into creating a sense of community, helping organize everything from dog shows and Halloween events to Christmas parades, Thanksgiving dinners and holiday parties.
Away from work, George had an adventurous side. He loved his red Corvette and auto racing, was an avid bowler and enjoyed traveling. One particularly memorable adventure took George, Johnny, their two sons and three dogs from Florida all the way to Alaska in their motorhome — a fitting journey for someone whose life became so closely connected to RVing.
Perhaps George’s greatest legacy, however, can be seen in the family business he helped build. More than three decades after the Lempenau family purchased Peace River Campground, the campground remains family owned and operated. Johnny, sons Lenny and Andrew, their wives Summer and Debbie, and now members of the next generation have all played a role in continuing what George helped create.
George is survived by his wife of 51 years, Johnny; son Lenny and his wife Summer and their daughters Soleil and Linleigh; and son Andrew and his wife Debbie and their daughters Layla and Alice, along with extended family and many longtime friends.
The FRVTA extends its deepest condolences to Johnny, the entire Lempenau family, the Peace River Campground family, and the many friends and colleagues George made throughout his decades in the RV and campground industries.
George devoted a significant part of his life to an industry built around travel, recreation, family and bringing people together. His many years of service to the FRVTA and Florida’s campground community will be remembered, and his presence will be greatly missed.
We are grateful for George’s years of friendship, leadership and service to the FRVTA and the Florida RV industry.
Read George Lempenau’s full obituary and share condolences with the family