Yvonne L German

Yvonne L. (nee Manchec) German passed away peacefully last Friday at 9PM EST, June 20, 2025, at Hospice of Dayton. She was 102 years of age. Yvonne was born in the parish of St Yvi, in Western Brittany, France, on May 20, 1923. She was educated at schools in Paris and was a great lover of French history and literature, particularly the Romantic poets. She won numerous educational awards for excellence.

Profoundly marked by five years of Nazi occupation, she instilled two major principles in her two sons, faith in God and Christ our Savior, and a solid, well-structured education. She often stated, “a dictatorship can take all your worldly possessions and even your life, but they can never take your knowledge. So, learn all you possibly can”.

During WWII, she served as a Red Cross volunteer near Paris and met her future husband, Pfc John R. German, at a social event organized by the USO and the townhall of St Germain-en-Laye (near Paris) several days after the town was captured by the US Army (August 26, 1944). John and Yvonne quickly fell in love and, during these dramatic times, drew plans for marriage. Until her departure for the United States, she worked in the archives of the French Ministry of Defense. However, the war dragged on until the German Army capitulated on May 8, 1945. After a long separation, the couple was finally reunited in New Bedford, Massachusetts, where they were finally married on July 6, 1946. John P. German was born the following year and Gary six years later in 1953.

John R. German continued to serve in the US military and the family was deployed on bases in France and the United States until John’s retirement from active duty in 1964. Between 1964 and 1968, Yvonne taught French language and literature at Old Rochester High School (Mass.). In 1968, John returned to serve the country, this time at the Pentagon as Chief of the Speakers’ Bureau, OSD. In this capacity, they spent many happy years in Fairfax, Virginia, until his retirement in 1984.

In 1989, the couple decided to move to Centerville, Ohio to be near their son John and his wife Denise and their five children. During this time the attended Washington Heights Baptist Church.

John R. German passed away in 2015 at the age of 94 and, thanks to the devoted care she received from her son, Dr. John P. German, Yvonne was able to remain in her home until the very end.

Yvonne is survived by her two sons, Dr. John P. German (neuroradiologist at Kettering Hospital), and Gary D. German, Professor emeritus of linguistics (University of Western Brittany, France), their wives, Denise and Marie-Laure, and their eight children and fifteen grandchildren.

The entire family, both in Ohio and those in France, wish to recognize the great compassion and remarkable professional care provided to Yvonne during her final days by the nurses and staff at Hospice of Dayton. They are profoundly grateful.

Yvonne will be laid to rest beside her beloved husband John this Friday, June 27, 2025. Calling hours are at 1:00PM at David Cemetery Mausoleum Chapel, 4600 Mad River Road, Dayton, Ohio 45429.