The father of a former Ada clergy person, Joseph Hughes Yeakel, Retired Bishop of the United Methodist Church, 93, died, July 4, 2021 at the Danbury Woods Senior Living Center, Wooster, OH.
Joe was born March 12, 1928, in Mahanoy City, PA, to the late Claude H. and Florence M. (Hughes) Yeakel. Joe married Lois Josephine Shank of Waynesboro, PA in 1948.
Joe is survived by five children: Claudia J. McIntyre and partner Allen Kvidera, Silverthorne, CO; Dr. J. Douglas Yeakel and partner Laurie Strasburger, Leadville, CO; Joanna Y. Drushal and husband, J. Richard, Lakeville, OH; Rev. Mary Jo Yeakel, Marion, OH; and Jody Y. Kampmeier and husband, Eric, Sycamore, IL ; by sister-in-law, Irene Fraver, Durham, NC; many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
In addition to his parents and parents-in-law, he is preceded in death by his sisters Dorothy A. Horn and Mary H. Yeakel, daughter-in-law Cece A. Yeakel and granddaughter Amanda Rose Yeakel. Joe attended the Pottsville, PA public schools. His matriculation to Lebanon Valley College was interrupted by a tour of duty with the United States Navy Seabees, returning to Lebanon Valley College from which he graduated with an A.B. degree (1950). He served the Gardners-Mt. Victory Charge near Mt. Holly, PA during his senior year in college. He attended United Theological Seminary in Dayton, OH (M.Div.1952), serving as a student Assistant Pastor at the Euclid Avenue Evangelical United Brethren (EUB) Church in Dayton.
He became a member of the Central Pennsylvania Annual Conference of the former EUB Church. He was Assistant Pastor at Otterbein Church in Hagerstown, MD; Pastor at Messiah Church in York, PA; and Memorial Church in Silver Spring, MA. In 1963 he was elected Assistant General Secretary of the Board of Evangelism and then the General Secretary of the Board for the EUB Church in Dayton, OH.
After the church union in 1968, he became the General Secretary of the Board of Evangelism of The United Methodist Church in Nashville, TN. The Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference elected him to the episcopacy in 1972. He administered the New York West Area, 1972-84, and the Washington (DC) Area 1984-1996. He retired on August 31, 1996. From 1972-80 and 1988-96 he served on the General Board of Church and Society, and as President 1976-80 and 1992-96. In 1980-88 he served on the General Council on Finance and Administration, and as its President 1984-88. He was President-Designate of the Council of Bishops (1991-92) and President of the Council of Bishops (1992-93).
A service of Faith and Memories will be held later this year. There will be no viewing as his body has been donated to the Cleveland Clinic to be used for medical education and research.
His cremains will be inurned in the Lakeview Columbarium at the Casowasco Camp & Retreat Center, Moravia, NY.
Should friends desire, you may honor Joe with gifts to the Casowasco Camp & Retreat Center, Moravia, NY.
