Dodie Beerbower

Dodie Beerbower, 79, of Rostraver Township, PA, passed away Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, surrounded by family at Allegheny General Hospital. Dodie was born on Dec. 21, 1945, in Erie, PA, to Doris Lefaiver (formerly Marquardt) and Herman Marquardt.

She graduated from Strong Vincent High School in Erie, then obtained her associate’s degree from Robert Morris College in Moon Township. Dodie retired from the nursing department at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania (now PennWest Edinboro), where she served students and faculty for 14 years as the department admin.

 She may be best remembered for her time as the Aquatics Director at the Mon Valley YMCA, where she taught countless children to swim, trained a generation of lifeguards, and served as head swim coach.

After she retired, Dodie relocated to Rostraver Township, where she enjoyed spending time with her family, especially her granddaughter, Abby, who was the light of her life in retirement. They took many trips to the fish pond and the pumpkin patch as Abby grew. They also shared a passion for writing, and Dodie loved to attend Abby’s soccer matches, track meets, and swim meets.

In many ways, Dodie was defined by her passionate engagement with the world around her. She loved music, theater, and dance, and she was a voracious reader. She was also an avid gardener and a long-time member of the Valley Garden Club. She remained active in retirement, swimming several miles each week year-round, and had a circle of close friends with whom she enjoyed regular card games, lunches, and nights at the symphony. She loved traveling, particularly to visit family and friends around the country, or just to take herself to the beach for a few days. A trip to France and Italy with her kids was an all-time highlight.

Dodie was also known to be generous with her time and talent, serving as a Girl Scout troop leader and PTA president, coaching youth and high school swim teams, coordinating a college scholarship offered by her garden club, and much more. Over the years, she coached hundreds of kids, becoming a mentor to many of them. Some of her swimmers and lifeguards became her close friends as they grew, and several went on to become coaches themselves.

Dodie is survived by her daughter, Katie (Ben) Hager of Rostraver Township; her son, Mike (Val) Beerbower of Dayton, OH; a granddaughter, Abby Hager of Rostraver Township; a sister, Linda (Dick) Diehl of Erie; a niece, Betsy (John) Masi; a nephew, Jon (Jen) Diehl; four great-nieces and nephews; and Ralph (Mona) Beerbower of Parker, CO.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her mother’s husband, Elliott Lefaiver, and her grandparents.

A visitation for Dodie will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, with a service following at 1 p.m., in the James C. Stump Funeral Home Inc., Funeral Home Inc., 580 Circle Drive, Belle Vernon/Rostraver Township (724-929-7934) http://www.jamesstumpfuneralhome.com 

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Mon Valley YMCA, the Rostraver Public Library, or the American Cancer Society.