Camille Shephard Yahm, age 87, peacefully passed away with her daughter Melanie by her side on May 28, 2026 at Tanner Medical Center in Carrollton, GA from injuries she sustained from a fall on May 20, 2026.

Camille was born December 28, 1938 in Meridian, MS to the late Robert Owen "Ikey" Shephard, Sr. and Onita Aldridge "Peter" Shephard.

Valedictorian of her high school class, Camille graduated from John Rundle High School, Grenada, MS in 1956. She spent the next four years at the University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS where she graduated in 1960 Magna Cum Laude receiving a BA in Speech and English, and a minor in Psychology. While at Ole Miss, she served as Chaplain of Alpha Delta Chapter Phi Mu Sorority, a life member, and was active in the Wesley Foundation, a United Methodist campus ministry. Camille also studied at Emory University, Candler School of Theology, Cornell University, and Harvard.

While pursuing a Master's Degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology at the University of Maryland, College Park, MD, Camille became engaged to marry William J. "Bill" Funk, who had just completed an initial short term as lay educational missionary in Sarawak, East Malaysia. After marrying in September 1960 at Druid Hills United Methodist Church, Atlanta, GA, Camille and Bill spent the next two years studying Mandarin Chinese at the Yale University Institute of Far Eastern Languages, New Haven, CT, and attended training at the Missionary Orientation Center, Stony Point, NY in preparation for their mission career in Southeast Asia. In August 1962, along with their six month old daughter Christel, they traveled to Southeast Asia via the "jewel" of the Cunard line, RMS Queen Mary. Imagine what it must have been like for this Mississippi southern belle to arrive halfway around the world to the third largest island in the world with her husband and young child to begin a new chapter speaking a different language, making their home in a wooden house on stilts near the banks of the rushing Rajang River without plumbing or wired electricity, and the only mode of transportation were rustic wooden launch boats! Faith!

For ten years, Camille was a lay educational missionary of the United Methodist Church in Sarawak, East Malaysia. As a speech therapist, she worked with individuals who needed speech therapy, taught English as a second language in a Methodist Secondary School and seminary, and wrote and illustrated materials for the literacy program of the Iban (indigenous peoples of Borneo) Methodist Church. Her creative sewing skills taught by her mother were put to great use designing and sewing the costumes for the musicals the students performed. Two daughters, Lisa and Melanie, were born in Kapit, Sarawak, Malaysia while living there.

After serving the mission field for ten years in Southeast Asia and returning to Atlanta, Camille's fourth daughter Wendi was born. Due to health complications Wendi sustained at birth and her need for access to lifelong medical care, Camille and her family settled in Decatur, GA. She worked briefly as a Library Assistant at Carl G. Renfroe Middle School, Decatur, GA.

For eighteen years, Camille was a mission interpreter and fundraiser for the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church in the Southeastern Jurisdictional Office based in Atlanta. She served as the first Field Representative for Mission Education, the Field Representative for Mission Development, and finally as Executive Secretary for Global Mission Partners. In addition, she briefly served as China Interpreter for World Division of the General Board of Global Ministries, United Methodist Church, NY. In 1994, she was honored with the Herman W. Siedschlag Award given by the Southeast Jurisdiction Conference Secretaries of Global Ministries recognizing her for serving as an extraordinary mission interpreter and exhibiting a strong commitment to mission work in the SEJ.

Change was brought to Camille's life. In 1996, she moved to Fairfax, Virginia after reconnecting with and marrying her college sweetheart, Dan R. Anders, a Judge with the Board of Contract Appeals of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC. She spent several years as Director of Adult and Family Ministries at Annandale United Methodist Church, Annandale, VA, and served as a director on the Board of Heart Haven, Inc.

Upon her husband's retirement, they moved to the Atlanta area in 1998, where Camille became the Annual Fund and Communications Director of Phi Mu Fraternity, one of the oldest Greek sororities established at Wesleyan College in Macon, GA in 1852. Having served as an officer on the first Board of Directors with Aldersgate Homes, Inc., Camille then became Executive Director for several years before moving to Carrollton, GA.

In 2006, after Camille's husband Dan passed away, Camille retired as Corporate and Foundation Relations Officer for KidsPeace National Center of Georgia on the Bowdon Campus, Bowdon, GA, making Carrollton, GA her home after a lifelong career serving others.

After some time, Camille would come to know Stuart A. Yahm through an email exchange from a mutual friend of many years. Stuart was retired Vice –President for Artists & Repertoires with Capitol Records in Los Angeles, CA. After several years corresponding long distance between GA and CA, Stuart moved to Carrollton and the two became one. While living in Carrollton, Camille and Stuart immersed themselves together in the community, developing many dear friendships, sharing their love for writing, music, travel, and engaging in many intellectual conversations. Camille continued to focus on her passion for and commitment to children. During the school year she was a mentor and tutored reading and English as a second language at Carrollton High School and Central Elementary School. She also proudly tutored children and adults who were interested in learning Mandarin Chinese.

Camille was a member of many organizations throughout her life, including Community First United Methodist Church, Carrollton First United Methodist Church, Carrollton Civic Woman's Club, Golden Kiwanis Club of Carrollton, Carroll County Community Chorus, Georgia Commission on Women, Atlanta Council on International Relations, Atlanta Ole Miss Alumni Club, Georgia Council for International Visitors, and Decatur First United Methodist Church. She previously served as a member of the Board of Atlanta Association of International Education, and was also a member of the Board for Breakthru House, a North Georgia Conference Advance Special project.

In addition to her work with the United Methodist Church, she was a charter member of the US-China People's Friendship Association in Atlanta. She was among the first Americans and United Methodist visitors to re-enter the People's Republic of China in 1974. She subsequently led four additional trips to China.

Camille had many interests and talents. She loved playing the piano and would occasionally play hymns, Broadway and patriotic music for the residents at Laurel Glen in Carrollton. Family was important to her. During her younger years, she spent a lot of time with her maternal grandmother "Bubber" who influenced her love of literature and education. Visits with Bubber included memorizing and reciting lines from Shakespeare and poems of Robert Frost, whom she had the thrill of meeting, and who kindly autographed her favorite book, "The Poems of Robert Frost". William Faulkner was a favorite author of hers, as was Robert Grisham during her later years.

As a writer herself and known among her family and friends for writing heartfelt thank you notes, including writing thank you notes for a thank you note, a number of her articles and mission curriculum materials have appeared in United Methodist publications, including "New World Outlook" and "Response" magazines. She co-authored the 1996 ecumenical mission study text on China, "The Enduring Church: Christians in China and Hong Kong", and wrote the accompanying Leader's Guide. As a mission interpreter, Camille participated in mission events and taught mission studies in every jurisdiction.

Camille was a most interesting public speaker and captured her audience's attention within the first few spoken words, which most likely contributed to her success as a fundraiser. She also enjoyed cooking and was always willing to try recipes from around the world. Friends soon discovered she made the tastiest homemade Chinese style egg rolls and would eagerly await an invitation to her home to celebrate Chinese New Year and enjoy a traditional feast each year. Some of her family's favorites include sour cream chicken with yellow rice pilaf, lasagna, spaghetti, pimiento cheese sandwiches, ribbon sandwiches, potato salad, deviled eggs, pineapple upside down cake, marzipans, and hot cross buns at Easter. She took great pride in personalizing her daughters' birthday cakes every year, decorating them with their interest at the time, always hiding miniature treasures wrapped in wax paper inside the cake as fortunes for whoever received the slices of cake with the hidden treasures, like a dime representing wealth, or a button to "unbutton" creativity. Camille was a planner at heart and she planned the best birthday parties for her children. The celebrations were complete with fun games, like pinning the tail on the donkey, or go fishing by using a string and a clothespin while she hid behind the curtain hooking special prizes to the clothespin. She made sure everyone won a special prize to take home with them. She introduced these fun birthday traditions, as well as other holiday traditions, to the families and children who were neighbors in the jungle village.

Camille was predeceased by her parents, her brother, Robert Owen "Bobby" Shephard, Jr., her husbands, Stuart A. Yahm, Dan R. Anders, and the father of her children, William J. "Bill" Funk.

Those left to cherish Camille's memory include her daughters, Christel (Carl) Funk, Lisa (Larry) Nied, Melanie (Frank) Funk, and Wendi Funk; bonus daughter, Michele (Scott) Peterson; grandchildren, Hunter Futch, Lindsay (Matt) Beatty, Aja Grooms, Noa Grooms, and Mia Grooms; bonus granddaughter, Jessica (Erik) McCartney; great-grandson, Shephard Beatty; sisters-in-law, Connie Shephard and Sheila Fishkin, and a host of cousins and friends.

Camille's family extends their appreciation and gratitude to the special friends who visited her during her final days in the hospital, as well as Agape Hospice nurse Etasha, Tanner Hospice nurse Sarah, the inpatient nurses, doctors, and staff at Tanner Medical Center, and the caring staff at Barclay House of Carrollton where Camille called home the past five years.

A memorial service to honor Camille's extraordinary life will be held in the Almon Funeral Home chapel Saturday, July 11, 2026 at 10 am with Pastor Karen Kagiyama and Doctor Edward Landrum officiating.

Camille's ashes will be interred during a private family ceremony in the City of Decatur Cemetery Cinerarium, Decatur, GA.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be directed to the charity of one's choice, or in memory of Camille or in honor of Wendi to Georgia Options, Inc., the organization which provides care to Camille's daughter Wendi.

www.georgiaoptions.org or by mail to Georgia Options, Inc. 960 Whitehall Road, Athens, GA 30605.

Messages of condolence may be expressed to the family online at www.almonfuneralhome.com

Almon Funeral Home, Carrollton, GA is in charge of arrangements.