Iris Marie Trudel

Iris Marie Trudel, 88, of Fort Wayne, passed away on October 20, 2026, at The Cedars in Leo. Born November 21, 1937, in Huntington, Ind., she was the daughter of the late John Charles Winters and Dorothy E. (Reed) Trott.

Iris was a makeup artist with Merle Norman at Southtown Mall and later worked in sales with Mary Kay Cosmetics. She married the love of her life, the late Ted G. Trudel, on June 17, 1971. Together, they traveled the country as puppeteers, visiting many churches and schools, playing in the production of Jonah and the Whale. In those younger years, she enjoyed oil painting and later found great joy in cooking where she loved to host gatherings and entertain parties. She pursued her Real Estate License and sold real estate in Fort Wayne for several years. A member of Pathway Christian Church in Harlan, she was a devout Christian and Evangelist, always encouraging others to have a relationship with the Lord and praying daily for others. She was loved and impacted on the lives of people she encountered. She never knew a stranger and found ways to connect with others; she was like a mother to many.

She is survived by her daughter, Christine (Neil) Bowers of Fort Wayne; son, Timothy (Bonnie) Fisher of Fort Wayne; half-brother, David (Barb) Trott of Warsaw, Ind.; half-sisters, Renee (Jay) Grider of Fort Wayne and Kathleen Baker of Gainesville, Fla.; stepsister, Alana Gazetski of Drexel Hill, Penn.; grandchildren, Melissa (Rob) Ferguson of Leo, Ind., Josiah (Rachel) Fisher of Richmond, Ky., Zachary Fisher of Richmond, Ky., Valerie Fisher of Bilbao, Spain, Levi Fisher of Johnson City, Tenn., Jennifer (Adam) Smith of Fort Wayne, Emily (Jody) Ulom of Auburn, Ind., and Debra (Hayden) Koontz of Leo, Ind.; and 11 great-grandchildren.

Funeral Service will be at 3:00pm on Friday, October 23, 2026, at Hockemeyer and Miller Funeral Home, 6131 St. Joe Rd., Fort Wayne, with calling two hours prior. Pastor Timothy Fisher officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Stillwater Hospice or Cancer Services of Northeast Indiana. For online condolences, please visit www.hockemeyermillerfh.com