Obituary for Eli Zachary Kemberling
CAMDEN………………Eli Kemberling passed away unexpectedly at the age of 30 on
November 9th in Denver, CO. He is the son of Vicky Willey and the late Paul Kemberling and is
survived by his siblings, Jeremiah and Grace Kemberling.
Eli was born on July 20th, 1992, in San Francisco, CA. Eli and his family finally settled in
Camden, ME, where he attended Camden Hills Regional High School.
From a young age, Eli loved spending time with animals and in the outdoors. He enjoyed
camping, fishing, and time spent on the water. He was deeply appreciative of music and art, even
when his musical interests were unique. His laughter was infectious; his personality filled any
room he was in.
At 17, Eli began his career working at Francine's Bistro, a small restaurant located in downtown
Camden. He played a variety of roles in the kitchen; over the course of his career, he worked as a
line cook, prep cook, and dishwasher. He spent significant time working at the Bagel Cafe, a job
which he grew to love and appreciate.
He recently relocated to Denver, CO, to be with his girlfriend Kyra Thiel. He looked forward to
transitioning into animal related work and eventually moving into a shared apartment with Kyra.
Eli struggled with a life-long depression and periods of substance abuse. While often
stigmatized, the family wishes to break the silence surrounding substance abuse in our
communities. If a donation is preferred in lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent
in Eli’s name to Mclean Hospital for mental health and substance abuse programing in Mid-coast
Maine (https://giving.mclean.org).
Calling hours will be held from 1:30pm to 2:30pm, Sunday, November 20, 2022 at the Long
Funeral Home, 9 Mountain Street, Camden. The service will be private. Flowers may be sent to
Long’s Funeral Home.
Condolences may be shared with the family at www.longfuneralhomecamden.com.
November 9th in Denver, CO. He is the son of Vicky Willey and the late Paul Kemberling and is
survived by his siblings, Jeremiah and Grace Kemberling.
Eli was born on July 20th, 1992, in San Francisco, CA. Eli and his family finally settled in
Camden, ME, where he attended Camden Hills Regional High School.
From a young age, Eli loved spending time with animals and in the outdoors. He enjoyed
camping, fishing, and time spent on the water. He was deeply appreciative of music and art, even
when his musical interests were unique. His laughter was infectious; his personality filled any
room he was in.
At 17, Eli began his career working at Francine's Bistro, a small restaurant located in downtown
Camden. He played a variety of roles in the kitchen; over the course of his career, he worked as a
line cook, prep cook, and dishwasher. He spent significant time working at the Bagel Cafe, a job
which he grew to love and appreciate.
He recently relocated to Denver, CO, to be with his girlfriend Kyra Thiel. He looked forward to
transitioning into animal related work and eventually moving into a shared apartment with Kyra.
Eli struggled with a life-long depression and periods of substance abuse. While often
stigmatized, the family wishes to break the silence surrounding substance abuse in our
communities. If a donation is preferred in lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent
in Eli’s name to Mclean Hospital for mental health and substance abuse programing in Mid-coast
Maine (https://giving.mclean.org).
Calling hours will be held from 1:30pm to 2:30pm, Sunday, November 20, 2022 at the Long
Funeral Home, 9 Mountain Street, Camden. The service will be private. Flowers may be sent to
Long’s Funeral Home.
Condolences may be shared with the family at www.longfuneralhomecamden.com.