Ismael Camacho, Sr., age 74, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday August 26, 2025, in Keshena. He was born on November 17, 1950, in Baja California, Mexico to the late Carlos Camacho and Margarita Chavez. Ismael moved to Chicago in his early twenties. He worked multiple jobs until finally becoming a member of the local 13 Chicago Carpenter Union. He worked also part-time at the North Ave Day Nursery as their head engineer as well as for Bickerdike and Stromberg Construction companies. He was united in marriage to Kathryn Waukau on August 23, 2003. In his free time, he enjoyed fishing and hunting. He was a social man with many friends and shared his life stories with everyone. Ismael built a strong, loving family on the Menominee Reservation. He was a stern but fair father that loved his children. He was helpful, considerate and treated everyone like family. He would always say “Treat the little ones good because they will always remember how you treated them.” And that love was always returned tenfold. He was an amazing father, grandfather, and husband and he will be deeply missed.
Ismael is survived by: his wife Kathryn Waukau Camacho; his children, Ismael Camacho Jr., Carlos Camacho, Juan (Clarissa Ignacio) Ramos, Jesenia (Vaughn Watts) Camacho Watts, and Celia (Joshua Kowalczyk) Camacho Kowalczyk; grandchildren, Angelica, Ismael Elias, Azucel, Alyssa, Emiliana, Oliver, Xavier, Damien, Zoey, Gabriella, Giordana, Dylan, Willa, Isidoro, Celio, Zoe, and Collette; great-grandchildren, Jordan and Jailyn; brothers, Joel, Gilberto, Juan, and Cesar and sisters, Lucia, Rebecca, Libia, Elba and Esther. He is further survived by many cousins, other relatives and friends.
Ismael is preceded in death by his parents; and brothers, Carlos and Elias, and two other brothers in infancy.
A family run memorial gathering will be held at St. Michaels Parish Hall in Keshena starting on Friday August 29, 2025, from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm and again on Saturday from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.
