Former West Chester Mayor Dick Yoder Dies

WEST CHESTER, PA -- The former mayor of West Chester, Dick Yoder, passed away on Thursday at the age of 79.

Yoder served as mayor for eight years after first being elected in 2001.

A Republican, Yoder was a true local: he graduated from Villanova University and West Chester East High School, before serving in the Marine Corps.

Congressman Ryan Costello (PA-06) issued a heartfelt statement on Yoder and his impact on the West Chester community:

Christine and I would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to Mayor Yoder's family and hope that they can find some comfort knowing just how much the entire community respected and admired his lifetime of dedicated service to West Chester. He was a football coach who prepared his players to succeed not only on game day, but long after they left the field. He was an educator committed to inspiring all of his students to reach their full potential. And he was a public servant with a passion for solving problems and transforming West Chester into one of Chester County's best places to live and work. Dick's enthusiasm for working with young adults was evident during the past year while he served as a member of my Service Academy Board, volunteering countless hours to interview young men and women vying for coveted nominations to one of our country's military academies. His extensive knowledge about all things West Chester and tireless work ethic will truly be missed.

Yoder, a football and track coach, was recently nominated into the ECAC Hall of Fame on April 16 in Danbury, Connecticut.

Until his death, Yoder provided color commentary on the radio for West Chester University football games on WCHE 1520 AM.

Image courtesy ECAC.