Mary Jane Hiles, 88, of Elkhart, passed away peacefully of natural causes with her family at her side at Hubbard Hill Retirement Community on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at 8:50 a.m.

Born December 27, 1937, in South Bend, she was the daughter of the late Eldred and Edna (Roberts) Rader. She married Wilbur Earl Hiles in Elkhart in 1956. He preceded her in death in 1997, as did her sons, Steven J. and John P. Hiles.

Mary Jane leaves behind her son, David P. (Ellen) Hiles of Elkhart; sister, Connie Fowler of Elkhart; grandchildren Stephanie (Zachary) Baldwin of Elkhart, Andrew Hiles of Mishawaka, Kevin (Rachel), Colin (Kendal) and Katie Hiles of Texas, Nikki Moore of Elkhart, and Heidi (Eddie) Oakley of Portage, Michigan; and a wide circle of extended family, friends, former colleagues and countless others whose lives she touched.

To describe Mary Jane simply as a longtime community volunteer would be to miss the remarkable breadth of her life. She possessed an uncommon ability to see both the person in front of her and the larger needs of the community around her. She believed that people—especially older adults, those without families, and those whose voices were often overlooked—deserved to be seen, heard and valued.

That belief became the guiding purpose of her professional and personal life.

Mary Jane's curiosity and love of people took her far beyond Elkhart. As a high school junior, she became an exchange student in Germany, beginning a lifelong fascination with other cultures and leading to travels in 47 countries. Her interest in the wider world also contributed to the development of the sister-city relationship between Elkhart and Karardzhali, Bulgaria. She remained a lifelong learner, earning a certificate in gerontology from the University of Michigan and continually seeking new ways to understand and serve others.

Her career was devoted largely to improving the lives of older adults. During 32 years with the YM/YWCA, where she served as director of senior services, Mary Jane became a tireless advocate and connector, bringing organizations together rather than allowing them to work in isolation. Early in her tenure, she was asked to help establish senior programming at what was then the emerging Greencroft community in Goshen. She watched with satisfaction as that small beginning grew into something far larger.

She also played an important role in the development of Hubbard Hill, bringing her vision and persistence to the early conversations that helped shape what would become a significant resource for older adults in the Elkhart community.

Mary Jane's service extended well beyond her professional work. She devoted herself to ADEC, Trinity on Jackson United Methodist Church and its Missions committee, hunger-relief efforts including the Stuff-a-Bus campaign, and countless other causes. She was particularly concerned about nursing home residents who had no family to advocate for them. For Mary Jane, service was never about recognition. It was about noticing a need and asking what could be done.

That same determination helped give rise to the Owls Club. Mary Jane was among the earliest people to encourage its creation, believing deeply that older adults possess wisdom, experience and a need to remain connected and useful. She patiently participated in years of conversations, listening and planning before the vision became reality. She took particular joy in seeing the organization flourish.

Those who knew Mary Jane remember her as tenacious, compassionate, curious and remarkably generous with her time. She had the confidence to speak up, the imagination to envision what might be possible, and the persistence to keep working until an idea became something tangible. Her lifelong friend Sharon Moser described her as an inspiration to everyone who knew her.

Yet perhaps Mary Jane's greatest legacy cannot be measured by organizations founded, programs created or causes supported. It lives in the people she encouraged, defended, welcomed and reminded of their own worth.

Her faith was the foundation beneath it all. Mary Jane's love for Jesus was not merely something she professed; it was something she sought to put into practice through compassion, generosity and service. She believed in asking God for guidance and in spreading oneself as widely as possible in service to others. She lived those principles with a generosity of spirit that touched her family, her church and the broader community.

Mary Jane understood that a meaningful life is not built by keeping one's gifts to oneself. She gave freely—her time, her energy, her wisdom, her curiosity and her heart. Even through life's hardships, she chose not to become hardened by what she endured. Instead, she transformed those experiences into greater empathy for others.

Elkhart has lost a determined advocate, a faithful servant, a philanthropist of both resources and spirit, and, most of all, a deeply human woman who believed that every person mattered. Her legacy will endure in the many people and institutions made stronger because Mary Jane cared enough to become involved.

In accordance with her wishes, cremation will take place, followed by a family-led memorial celebration of her life at Trinity on Jackson United Methodist Church, 2715 E. Jackson Blvd., Elkhart, on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at noon. Family and friends are invited to gather beginning at 11 a.m. The Rev. Lori Grasty will officiate. Billings Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Elkhart is assisting the family.

Mary Jane's life was, in the truest sense, an offering to others. She leaves behind not simply memories, but a challenge: to notice those who need help, to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves, to remain curious about the world, and to give whatever we can to make our communities more compassionate places. That is the work she believed in, and it is the legacy she leaves to all who knew and loved her.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to Trinity on Jackson.