Camile

Chiles

Camille Chiles, 80, of Rochester, Illinois, passed away on Sunday, November 8, 2026. She was born May 10, 1946, in Dyersburg, Tennessee, the daughter of Joseph A. and Janie Elizabeth (O’Bryan) Kafka.

Camille grew up in Mount Pulaski, Illinois, where her interests in music, art, and drama began to flourish. The daughter of two educators, she followed that same calling, graduating from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science degree in education, with an emphasis in art and art history. She taught art in the Rochester School District from 1969 to 1972, working with students from elementary school through high school, and also shared her talents through adult education and craft classes.

Her creativity reached well beyond the classroom. Camille designed and drafted house plans, decorated interiors, and loved bringing beauty to her surroundings. She could often be found outside tending her flower gardens or landscaping her yard. She later spent many years working at Franklin Life Insurance Company in Springfield.

Camille’s life was filled with interests that kept her learning, creating, and exploring. She enjoyed reading, cooking, crafts, and traveling. She had a special love for the ocean and being on the water, enjoying boating, swimming, rafting, and even scuba diving. That love eventually drew her to Florida, where she made her home in her later years.

Faith and music were meaningful parts of Camille’s life. She was active in several church communities over the years and enjoyed singing, including time spent in the choir.

Above all, Camille treasured her family and her roles as a mother, foster mother, and grandmother. She opened her home and heart to foster children, creating family bonds that remained dear to her throughout her life. Her legacy lives on in the family she loved, the creativity she shared, and the many lives that became part of her own.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her daughter, Margo Jane Chiles; and her brother, Kenneth Kafka.

Camille is survived by her son, Michael Chiles (Vicki) of Rochester; her grandson, Ethan Chiles of Kincaid; and her large, beloved foster family.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, November 17, 2026, from 10:30 a.m. until the funeral service at noon at Wilson Park Funeral Home, 200 East Main Street, Rochester, Illinois 62563.

Memorial contributions may be made to Trailer Estates Covenant Church in Bradenton, Florida.