Obituary: Doris W. Yoakum

Doris W. Yoakum was born Sept. 4, 1927, to Earnest W. and Louise (Moss) Welford in Lucedale, Mississippi. She grew up as the only child of a Pentecostal pastor and learned to play the piano while quite young.

By the age of 9 she was accompanying church services her father led. She would later attend Central Bible College of the Assemblies of God.

On Sept. 8, 1945, she married William E. “Bill” Yoakum II. They had five children. With Bill working for the Army, the family moved around early on, living in Newport News, Virginia; Hagerstown, Maryland; and Belleville, Illinois, before settling in Huntsville, Alabama. In 1963, they moved to Orlando, Florida.

Doris did secretarial work at Madison County Hospital in Alabama and later on for an air-conditioning contractor in Orlando and for the Letourneau Corporation in the construction equipment business. Doris also accompanied her husband, Bill, who led worship at several churches the family attended over the years. She played both piano and organ. 

In addition to her involvement in music ministry, Doris also taught Sunday school, led Pioneer Girls and served as president of the Christian Women’s Club of Orlando.

Doris was a wonderfully gracious woman and was beloved by many. She and Bill did volunteer work in the area of adult literacy in Maryland, and in West Orange County they delivered meals with Meals on Wheels and served as nurturers with Habitat for Humanity. Since 1987, they were active members of Cornerstone Community Church in Winter Garden, where Doris again served with the worship team.

In their retirement years, Doris and Bill enjoyed traveling widely across the continental United States and to destinations including Australia, England, Hawaii and Alaska.

Doris spent her final three years at Golden Pond Assisted Living Center in Winter Garden, where, despite the onset of dementia, she maintained her wonderfully gentle and gracious spirit.

She continued to be active in church until she went on to be with the Lord she loved on June 13, 2017.

She was preceded in death by her son, Mark Jeffrey, in 1985 and her husband, Bill, in 1998.

She is survived by her sons, William E. III “Bud” and his wife, Kathy; John F. “Jack”; Michael and his wife, Crystal; and her only daughter, Susan Hartman and her husband, Steve. She had 10 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.