Deborah Ann(Hanna) Yoder

Deborah Ann (Hanna) Yoder, 58, Indianapolis, passed away peacefully in her sleep on April 13, after a courageous battle with brain cancer. Born in New Castle, PA, September 27, 1953, she was a 1971 graduate of New Castle High School, and attended Malone College, Canton, OH from 1971-1973, where she meet and married her husband of 37 years, Merv. Deborah supported the family for their early years and among her many positions served as an assistant to the Controller of the National Retail Hardware Association from 1976-1980 in Indianapolis. In Philadelphia, she served as secretary to the Dean of the School of Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania from 1980-1983 and an assistant to the Chair of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania from 1984-1985. Upon returning to Indianapolis, Deborah served as a member of the founding school board at Traders Point Christian Academy, served as founding president of the Parent and Teacher's Fellowship at the Academy, and initiated and provided the students with a hot lunch program during the formative years of the school. She enjoyed teaching children in Sunday School at Traders Point Christian Church and served as a leader in several capacities for Women's Bible Study Fellowship for more than two decades. More recently, shehad also enjoyed volunteering in the Soup Kitchen at Tabernacle Presbyterian Church, where she counted it a privilege to serve the hungry men and women from the community. Deborah exemplified and sustained a home filled with selfless love, patience, kindness, joy, laughter, humbleness, and great faith. She enjoyed cooking, traveling, visiting with family members, supporting the numerous and varied interests of her children, and serving those in need. Her love for children extended overseas as she sponsored many children in various child health and education ministries in Latin American and Africa for many years. She installed the passion for serving others into her husband, children, and many friends that included traveling with her daughter and other family members to New York on several occasions to assist in the feeding and care of homeless children and adults. Deborah is survived by her mother Virginia (Broaddus) Hanna, father Charles James Hanna (both of New Castle, PA), and a married brother Charles (Nancy) Hanna of Denver, CO. She is also survived by her husband Dr. Mervin C. Yoder, Jr. and her chidren Andrew Paul Yoder and Caitlin Emily Dale Yoder. Deborah and her family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to the Open Door Soup Kitchen at Tabernacle Presbyterian Church, 418 E. 34th Street, Indianapolis, IN (www.tabpress.org). A memorial service will be held on Saturday April 21 from 11 A.M.-12 P.M. at Tabernacle Presbyterian Church preceded by a time of fellowship to celebrate the joys of Deborah's life from 9 A.M.-11 A.M. also at the church. A private family dedication will be held at Washington Park North at a later date.