Christopher David Yoder

Christopher David Yoder was born April 7, 1972 in Toledo, Ohio. He moved to California at the age of 1 where he resided until his death, in Santa Monica, CA on October 2, 2022. He was fiercely proud of being Californian throughout his life. Chris graduated from Gilroy High School in 1990. Chris played soccer at GHS and sang in the Chamber Choir, traveling to Takko-machi, Japan in the inaugural year of sister cityhood. Chris went on to Gavilan College where he played football and then to San José State where he graduated in 1997 with a BA in Social Work. He later went on to acquire a Master's Degree in that field in 2005.

He enjoyed life in the Bay Area for many years, playing softball and coaching Pop Warner football, attending 49'ers and Giants games. His fandom for Tom Brady, an underdog who rose to the pinnacle of greatness, and for the University of Alabama which began in the Bear Bryant days, knew no bounds and Chris traveled across the country to witness great sports moments.

Chris decided to change careers and put to excellent use his skills as an extrovert who did not meet a stranger and who liked to practice the Spanish he learned living a semester in the Dominican Republic. He truly enjoyed engaging with a wide swath of people while driving for Uber and Lyft and could tell stories about the variety of experiences he had in the middle of the night. He moved to Southern California four years ago, where he loved the sun, the beach and the friendly, diverse community he lived in.

Chris is preceded in death by his father, David Yoder, and survived by his mother, Marian Yoder, his sisters, Sandra Yoder and Gretchen Yoder-Schrock, her husband Kermit and her children, Jacob and Sabine Yoder-Schrock. He also was loved by a raft of extended family, including aunts and uncles and cousins. Chris brought joy to our lives. His smile was beautifully radiant, he was thoughtful and generous. He loved sharing moments with his family and remembering them through photos and stories we told together. His life ended much too early and he leaves a family grateful for all of the years we shared with him.

A Celebration of His Life will be held October 23, 2022 at 4:00 pm at the home of Gretchen and Kermit Yoder-Schrock, 7626 Santa Inez Ct. Gilroy, CA 95020.

Published in Gilroy Dispatch · October 13, 2022