Cheryl F. Michalowski-Yoder

Cheryl Frances Michalowski-Yoder, age 63, passed away peacefully on March 22, 2022.  She was a beloved wife, daughter, sister, and aunt, was a friend to many, and will be greatly missed.

Cheryl was born in Chicago, IL on March 8, 1959, to Conrad and Alice Michalowski. She was the fourth of five children.

Profoundly deaf since birth, Cheryl attended several hearing-impaired programs due to her parents’ strong advocacy for their deaf children’s education. She graduated from John Hersey High School in 1978, then attended Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. for two years. Cheryl dreamed of living in California for its climate, and she transferred to CSUN in 1981 where she received a B.S. in computer programming.  She eventually landed on her first and last job as IT Specialist at the Veteran Administration at Long Beach.  She was a totally dedicated and well-respected employee for 35 years until she retired with honors on March 30, 2021.  After Cheryl retired, she had a long “to-do” list, but unfortunately her cancer put it on hold, and she fought like a warrior until her last breath on March 22, 2022, at 10:11 a.m.

During her early years, Cheryl was a competitive figure skater. She won five USFSA sanctioned competitions including three medals (1 gold & 2 silvers) from the Upper Great Lake Regional competitions and two (1 silver & 1 bronze) from the Midwestern Sectionals in pairs with her deaf brother, David.  David and Cheryl were considered the first deaf pair skaters that ever competed. They also skated in an exhibition at the 1975 Winter Deaf Olympics in Lake Placid, NY along with 3 other deaf skaters. She retired from competitions in 1978 because she wanted to pursue a college education.

In her last 40 years in California, she enjoyed walking and rollerblading 5 to 10 miles at different beaches, meeting many people. She invited her hearing peers to monthly deaf gatherings at Starbucks and taught them American Sign Language (ASL) and educated them about Deaf culture. She loved going to garage sales and bought many good quality and top of the line items at very low prices as she loved looking for ways to save a buck.

As an avidly health-conscious person, she was a well-respected representative for the USANA for 10 years. She loved to promote holistic awareness, advise in healthy living solutions, and educate people about the importance of vitamins and market products.

She is survived by her husband, Tom Yoder, whom she married on March 17, 2022; her mother, Alice Michalowski; sister, Julie Servilla (Jim); brothers Steve Michalowski (Cheryl Ann) and David Michalowski (Sheryl); nephews Steve, Jr., Travis, and Aaron; and nieces Dr. Alexandra Matityahu (Ari) and Shayna Michalowski. She was also the proud great aunt of Mason Matityahu. Cheryl is preceded in death by her father, Conrad Michalowski, brother Jeffrey, grandparents Joseph & Francis Skorusa, and Marcin & Stefania Michalowski, and her beloved dog, Dibby.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to MemorialCare Hospice & Palliative Services that provided wonderful and warm care to Cheryl, including sign language interpreters.

Online: www.memorialcare.org/giveSB

Select “Hospice & Palliative Care” in the Designation drop-down menu.

Mail: Make check payable to:

Saddleback Medical Center Foundation
Gift Processing Center
PO Box 2665
Seal Beach, CA 90740-1665
Write “Hospice” in the check memo.

Luyben Dilday Mortuary (562) 425-6401