Joseph Vernon Yoder, 70, of Montpelier, VT, died peacefully in the comfort of his own home on Thursday, January 22, 2026. He was born in Bellefontaine, Ohio, to Jack Yoder and Norva (Stephens) Yoder on December 18, 1955. The family moved to Arizona and California during his childhood, but returned to Ohio, where he graduated from Springfield High School in 1974. Upon graduation, Joe served a brief stint in the Air Force, then attended college at Wright State University in Ohio, Evergreen College in Washington State, and Goddard College in Plainfield, VT, where he graduated with a BA in 1978. Though he was primarily an art major in college, Joe was also deeply involved in the Social Ecology program at Goddard, where he began a lifelong interest in environmental stewardship, alternative energy, and sustainable agriculture.

Joe had a varied and diverse career that combined his strong management ability with his interest in the environment and his desire to do meaningful work that benefited others. His human services work included teaching at Shaker Mountain School in Burlington right after college, followed by management of the Lakeview Youth Shelter for troubled youth in crisis, as well as the Morehaven Group Home for kids in Morrisville, VT. He managed several group homes for Washington County Mental Health, and he did two different stints as a psychiatric technician at the Vermont State Hospital in Waterbury. He was a case manager for Pathways to Housing in central Vermont, which provided housing for mentally ill, unhoused people. But he credited his early 80’s work as a manager for a Domino's Pizza franchise in Ohio for providing him with excellent management skills. In addition to his human services work, he was a manager for Legare’s Farm Market in both Plainfield and Berlin, and managed produce warehouses for Black River Produce in Ludlow and Squash Valley Produce in Waterbury. Joe also studied land surveying and worked as a survey technician. His most interesting survey was for the Appalachian Trail on Mt. Cube and Mt. Smart in the White Mountains. In his retirement, Joe started his own business, Tiny Solar Vermont, for which he designed and installed small off-grid solar systems for clients all over Vermont and New Hampshire.

Joe met the love of his life, Laura Schlivek, in 1996 when he was managing Legare’s and she was delivering field-grown pansies. They dated for six years and married on October 26, 2002, after most of their children had flown the coop. They made their home in Montpelier, where they tended a large organic vegetable garden, kept chickens, wired their house for a solar supplement to their grid power, kept a tiny library, and nurtured Reginald Q. Tortoise in the front yard.

Joe is survived by his wife, Laura, two sons, Paul Yoder of Barre, and Eli Yoder (Amie) of Breckenridge, CO, and three stepchildren, Mike Thomas of Florida, Ruth Blackwell (Aaron) of Rochester, NY, and Walker Blackwell (Christiana) of Plainfield. He leaves behind two brothers, Larry Yoder (Stephanie) of Ohio, and Edward Yoder (Ursula) of Florida. He also leaves behind three grandchildren, Elsie Yoder, Felix Yoder, and Ivy Yoder, and two step-grandchildren, Jules Blackwell and Azalia Blackwell, several nieces and nephews, and his former wife and the mother of his sons, Margie Yoder.

Joe received wonderful care from Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice during the last two years of his life. He especially wishes to thank palliative care nurse Kelley and hospice nurse Maureen for their kind and helpful services. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to CVHHH.