Yvonne " Saint" Margedant

Yvonne Margedant, giving herself the middle name of “Saint,” passed away on July 23, 2026, in Indianapolis, Indiana, at the age of 75. Born January 14, 1951, in Beech Grove, Indiana, Yvonne grew up in Southport and spent her life making Indianapolis, and communities far beyond it, a little stronger, safer, and kinder than she found them.

Yvonne graduated from Southport High School and later earned a degree in Applied Urban Sociology from the University of Indianapolis. She built a career around something that came naturally to her: bringing people together. She served as a neighborhood coordinator for several Indianapolis neighborhood organizations and as a student liaison for Arsenal Technical High School. Her work eventually reached far beyond Indianapolis, as she taught people from around the world how to strengthen and improve their own communities.

She was dependable, loving, and fierce. She believed people deserved safe neighborhoods; opportunities, dignity, and the things they needed to build happy and successful lives. She wasn't afraid to be outspoken in pursuit of those things. She was an activist, a champion for human rights, and someone known for “causing good trouble,” especially when that trouble meant making life better for someone else.

Her influence could turn up in the most unexpected places. While attending a conference in South Africa, Yvonne was sightseeing with a group when someone on a random street began calling her name. The person turned out to be a Tibetan monk whom she had once mentored and taught at the University of Indianapolis. Somehow, halfway around the world, there was someone whose life had crossed paths with hers. It was a fitting reminder of just how far Yvonne's reach extended.

The same heart she gave to her community belonged fiercely to her family. Yvonne shared 49 years of marriage with her husband, Wilson “Butch” Paul Margedant, Jr. She was a devoted mother to her children, Beck and Carson, and also considered Roxy Dragus her Romanian daughter. And Yvonne's definition of family was never particularly interested in staying neatly inside the lines. She had a habit of adopting her children's friends as her own, creating a much larger family simply by loving people into it.

She is also survived by her sisters, Debbie Stracener, wife of Bill, and Rhonda Moore, wife of Dave, along with many cousins, nieces, nephews, and their children. Yvonne was preceded in death by her parents, Mary Etta McCormick and David O. McCormick, as well as Bill Stracener, Sam Stephens, and Susie Stephens.

Away from the causes she championed, Yvonne enjoyed logic puzzles, word puzzles, and movies featuring talking animals, with Babe and Chicken Run among the favorites remembered by her family. She treasured the family homesteads in Kentucky and Tennessee. And then there was opera. One particularly vivid childhood memory is of Yvonne driving through the neighborhood with the car windows down and the opera turned up loud, apparently deciding the entire neighborhood needed a soundtrack whether it had requested one or not.

That memory feels especially fitting because Yvonne did not seem to move quietly through the world.

She spoke up. She showed up. She protected children. She welcomed people into her family. She taught others how to care for the places they called home. And she believed deeply that people deserved the opportunity to live good, successful lives.

Her family will remember the woman they loved. Her friends will remember the woman who made room for them. And countless people, some close to home and some halfway around the world, will continue living in communities made better because Yvonne once cared enough to get involved.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Teachers’ Treasures or the Alzheimer’s Association, honoring Yvonne's lifelong commitment to education, community, and helping others have what they need to thrive.