Jacob Mackenzie Yoder

Jacob was born on January 31st, 1995 in Bowling Green, Oh to Leslie (Yoder) Mahan and Todd Yoder. Leslie and Jacob moved to Naples, Fl in 1998 where Jacob could dive into his everyday joy of swimming and making new friends. Jacob met his Bonus Dad, Keith Mahan, at the age of four and quickly became enamored when “Daddio” took him to buy a new pair of sneakers-which of course made him run faster. Jacob was raised by Leslie and Keith in Naples, who soon brought him a sister Malina which he adored instantly.

Jacob had an immense love inside of him and was dedicated fearlessly to his goals and passions. In fourth grade, Jacob was introduced to running as a sport after attending one of his cousin’s meets and quickly became captivated by the intensity. The next day, he went outside and ran nine miles around the park and only stopped when his mom worried it was too much and told him to stop. Yet, this was only the beginning. In middle school he joined the NNMS Cross Country and Track teams and was relentless in breaking school records and setting new personal records. At the same time, he excelled in school and received Honor Roll grades and was even asked to lead the Pledge of Allegiance at an awards assembly denoting his excellent character. Jacob finished his middle school running in eighth grade at CMS where he met many of the runners that would become his great friends and confidants.

Jacob attended Palmetto Ridge High school, excelling as a state runner and achieving high marks in academics while also working at American Eagle. Jacob loved Mathematics and Sciences as he entered high school and immediately immersed himself in AP courses. Yet, he favored the beauty and compassion he felt toward many of his literature teachers. Jacob was an avid reader since his elementary years budding from Lemony Snicket to Harry Potter to Warriors to the Eragon series. His mom will never forget the day he came out of his room after finishing the last Potter book, he was truly in a reader’s moment. Not only was he a fan of books, he was a fan of movies-especially Marvel Comic movies. Opening night with family at the theater, became a tradition at the age of seven when Jacob saw his first Spider-Man movie.

After graduating in 2013 with a GPA above 4.75, Jacob briefly joined the USAF. He came home and decided to pursue his lifetime love: Computer Programming/Software Engineering at FGCU. At the same time, he worked with and for his Bonus Dad in landscaping. Jacob also loved his experience working in the food industry, which included one of his favorite jobs-cooking and serving at Olive Garden. He took great pride in cooking and loved to share his food creations with others. His love for eating also helped with this.

Jacob is preceded in death by his sweet dog Molly, Papa Phil, and Harold Yoder. He is survived by his “Momma” Leslie, his “Daddio” Keith, his sister Malina, and his dog Max. He is also survived by father, Todd Yoder and family, as well as grandparents, aunts/uncles, and many cousins. A celebration of Jacob’s beautiful life will be held at Hodges Funeral Home on 525 111th Ave N, Naples Fl on Friday, April 29th at 3:00 o’clock pm.

Flowers are appreciated, yet the family’s deepest wish is that you may hug your children and let them know and feel your pride and love.