DENISE MARIE DECKER, LA’96
WASHINGTON, DC

Sadly, long-time friend and change-agent, Denise Decker, passed away on November 4, 2020. Denise was a member of the Partners International Board of Directors and a member of our District of Columbia and Virginia Chapters. Denise began her work with Partners of the Americas in the 1980s, when she was a Disaster Assistance Officer for USAID. She then held an International Fellowship with Partners in which she wrote and implemented workshops to teach independent living skills to people with disabilities living in Brasilia, Brazil. Partners then went on to use her workshop in eight other Latin American countries and awarded Dr. Decker the Program Development Award for her hard work and stunning contributions. If you would like to donate in Denise’s name, please include the note, “In Memory of Denise Decker” when you donate here. Please find testimonials by our International Board Members and Partners staff about Denise’s immense impact on Partners and the communities she served.

Joel Snyder, Director, Audio Description Project, American Council of the Blind “We were all saddened to learn of the sudden loss of our friend and colleague Denise Decker on November 4, 2020. She was such a dedicated advocate, and a passionate leader in ACB’s work on audio description with her service as Chair of the Audio Description Project Performing Arts, Museums & Parks Sub-Committee.” American Association of University Women “I am always in awe of people who not only face adversity, but who, through their adversity, create something larger than themselves. This is the case of Denise Decker, a 1975-76 American Fellow, who has been blind since birth and who sees public service as a way to give back to the many family, friends, co-workers, and mentors who provided support and assistance to her throughout her life “”I am always in awe of people who not only face adversity, but who, through their adversity, create something larger than themselves. This is the case of Denise Decker, a 1975-76 American Fellow, who has been blind since birth and who sees public service as a way to give back to the many family, friends, co-workers, and mentors who provided support and assistance to her throughout her life ”

We send love and peace to Denise’s family and friends.

Obituary courtesy of The Washington Post.  To view the obituary on the Post’s site, please click the link below:

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/washingtonpost/obituary.aspx?pid=197122357