Yvonne M. Tedder's Obituary
Yvonne M. Tedder embarked on her next adventure on Monday, February 01, 2021.
Preceded in death by her husband William Tedder and her parents; Thomas and Elizabeth Burnett.
Loving mother of Thomas Tedder, Sr., Jennifer Tedder, and Eugene McEachern; grandmother of Thomas, II; sister of Robert, Thomas and Jimmy Burnett. Yvonne is also survived by many nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.
Yvonne was born in Baldwin Borough, the daughter of Elizabeth and the late Thomas Burnett. While a student in the Baldwin Whitehall School District, she pursued many music activities including playing the trumpet, piano and organ, and participating in the band, chorus and orchestra. She was an avid sports enthusiast, running track with her three brothers and playing softball or basketball when the opportunity presented itself. At the age of sixteen, Yvonne was asked to play the organ at Sunrise Baptist Church. After graduation from Baldwin High School, she received a partial scholarship to attend Carnegie Mellon University to pursue a career in music. In college, she was a member of the music sorority, Sigma Alpha Iota and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha and served as the AKA sorority graduate advisor for the University of Pittsburgh.
Yvonne graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree and received several academic awards including the Dean's List. After graduation, she began teaching music from her home school district of Baldwin Whitehall. Yvonne was the first and only black teacher for many years. She completed post graduate work at the University of Minnesota and Duquesne University. She taught at McAnulty, Paynter and Harrison Middle Schools in Baldwin. For several years she was the co-operating teacher for student teachers from Carlow College and a mentor teacher for new music teachers entering the Baldwin Whitehall School District. During the summer, she was one of the brass instructors for the Baldwin Highlander Marching Band. Yvonne retired after 36 years of encouraging her community's children to love and appreciate the art of music. Honors of mention: "Honorable Mention" for "Teacher of the Year" and "Who's Who Among American Teachers".
Yvonne's commitment to be involved with church work has directed her to be a part of the church music ministry. She played in church orchestras, or brass ensembles and directed numerous choirs including Sunrise Baptist Church and the Emmanuel Ministry Choir in Youngstown, Ohio was a rewarding and blessed experience for Yvonne. Yvonne also served in an after school program to help "at risk students" called Melting Pot Ministries in the South Hills.
Family and friends are welcomed on Wednesday, February 3, 2021 from 6 to 8 pm & February 4, 2021 from 2 to 4 pm & 6 to 8 pm at the Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home, Inc., 301 Curry Hollow Rd. Pleasant Hills. A Celebration of Life Service will be held for the immediate family on Friday, February 5, 2021 at 10 am in the Funeral Home's Chapel, services will be available via Zoom. Interment at Jefferson Memorial Park. Online condolences may be shared at www.jeffersonmemorial.biz.
In compliance with CDC guidelines only 25 people will be allowed to gather in the visitation room at a given time, please be prepared to wait outdoors, facial coverings are a must and physical distancing is encouraged.
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