Delores Irene (Yockey) Plastow, 86, of Grace Village Retirement Community, Winona Lake, passed away peacefully at 8:04 a.m. on Friday, July 17, 2020, at Grace Village, after a brief encounter with the COVID-19 Coronavirus and resulting health complications.    

Delores was born May 28, 1934, to Roy and Alice (Hooks) Yockey in Worthington, Pa. She graduated from Worthington High School in Worthington, Pa., in 1952, and subsequently attended Bryan College in Dayton, Tenn., where she earned a B.A. in Christian Education, followed by studies at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago where she met her husband, Fred Plastow.

Delores and Fred married June 18, 1960, and soon embarked on their life mission to share the good news of Jesus Christ with people of other nations. They lived in Morocco for nearly 6 years, in Switzerland for 2 years, in Belgium for 11 years, and in Spain for 10 years before returning to the USA, where they first served in Columbia, S.C., as ambassadors for their sending mission agency, Avant Ministries,  then eventually settled in Warsaw. 

Together they raised three daughters, Lori (Kurt) Strietzel (Kansas City, Missouri), Sheryl (Lary) Strietzel (the Democratic Republic of the Congo), Cynthia (Rodney) Ens (Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada), and a son, Marc (Susan) Plastow (Warsaw, Indiana).  This small start has resulted in a bounty of 16 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren, and 2 double-great grandchildren.  

While she never learned to ride a bicycle, she learned to speak Arabic and French and prepared manuscripts for publications in those languages. Delores played the piano for countless church services, typed faster than anyone we knew, always managed to spot the typos in the church bulletin, and mastered the Betty Crocker cookbook, along with several Moroccan national dishes.  She enjoyed walks with her husband, quilting projects, puzzles, and having friends and family over for meals. 

Delores will be remembered as an excellent life partner by her husband of 60 years, for her compassionate love by her children, and for her warm hospitality and gentle, caring spirit by the multitudes of friends who were blessed to experience it while in her home.  

In the last 4 years of her life, Delores gradually lost much of her ability to communicate verbally with others. But throughout this time she made it clear with her easy smile and a gentle laugh that she enjoyed every minute with family and friends, displaying uncommon gentleness and contentment, and occasionally surprising us by finishing her husband’s sentences.           

Friends are welcome to celebrate Delores’ life with her family at a small graveside service at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 21, 2020, at Pleasant View Cemetery, at 2782 W. 200N, Warsaw, and officiated by Pastor Terry Harnish. Arrangements were entrusted to Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Road, Warsaw. The Plastow family wishes to express their heartfelt thanks to all of the caregivers at Grace Village Healthcare in Winona Lake, who cared for Delores during her 8 months as a resident there, and in particular for their kindness and compassion during Delores’ final days.

Memorial donations may be directed to Avant Ministries, 10000 N. Oak Trafficway, Kansas City, Missouri  64155 and would be appreciated by the family.

Online condolences may be sent through the funeral home’s website at www.redpathfruthfuneralhome.com.