Eleanor "Ellie" Steele Yackel

Eleanor "Ellie" Steele Yackel, 84, passed away on May 4, 2017 at the Hospice Care Center, Port Orange, FL with her family by her side.  

Born at home in Dexter, NY on May 28, 1932, she graduated from Brownsville-Glen Park High School and Watertown School of Commerce.  Upon graduation, she worked for Quick Motors. In 1953, Ellie married Edward D. Yackel, becoming a military wife, stationed in Florida, Alabama, Texas, California, and South Carolina before retiring to Edgewater, Florida in 1974, enjoying the Florida lifestyle, and happily reminding others of the joys of being a Floridian. Ellie went on to work at Read Patillo Elementary in school food service until her retirement in June 1989. She was a Methodist, generously contributing to the Florida United Methodist Children’s Home.  For Ellie, family came first as she enjoyed her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and their spouses. An avid bowler with an average that most would relish, she was also a loyal volunteer. Volunteering for Meals on Wheels for 25 years, she enjoyed her connection to her “people”, and donating her mileage reimbursement each year back to the organization.  She walked for the Alzheimer’s Association and the homeless, and gave generously to the Veterans, and ALS.  She was a real patriot!  Ellie loved all music, but especially the Sound of Music and country music. She and Ed were avid square dancers at the challenge level, and in her later years she became the “dancing queen”.  As the song goes, “a few of her favorite things” were the beach, her birds, turtles, and manatees, and her extensive collection of sock monkeys.  

Ellie was preceded in death by her husband, at a much too early age of 63, in 1995, and is survived by her children, Linda Churchill (Paul) of Boylston Massachusetts, Edward Scott Yackel (Lisa) of Richmond Hill, Georgia; Gregory Bert Yackel (Amy) of South Daytona, Florida; and Michael Patrick Yackel (Patti) of Weston, Florida; 6 grandchildren, Kevin (Erin), Lauren Ashley (Trevor), Kristopher Kennedy, Alex, Shane and Sierra; 2 great-grandchildren, Maxwell and Olivia Rose; 4 siblings, Helen Thompson, Mary Ball (Larry), Paul Steele (Joyce), Roy Steele (Sharon); brother-in-law, Kurt Yackel; sister-in-law, Joan Carriere; her cousin, Grace; nephews and nieces; friends and care givers.

Visitation hours will be 7:00 - 9:00 p.m., Monday, May 8, 2017 at Settle-Wilder Funeral Home, 406 S. Orange Street, New Smyrna Beach, Florida. A celebration of her life will be 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, May 9, 2017, at the funeral home.  Interment will follow the service at Daytona Memorial Park North, 1425 Bellevue Ave., Daytona Beach, Florida.  

Memorial donations may be made to the Florida United Methodist Children’s Home, 51 Children’s Way, Enterprise, Florida 32725 and the Council on Aging (Meals on Wheels), 160 North Beach Street, Daytona Beach Florida, 32114.

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