Deborah Airen Dandridge

YORK- Deborah Airen Dandridge, 40, of York, Pa., passed away unexpectedly after a recent medical procedure on Monday, Feb. 27. She was born Sept. 26, 1982, in Allentown, Pa. to The Rev. Douglas Bates Dandridge Sr. and Deborah Dorwart Royer Dandridge.

If you knew Airen, you knew her smile. Her welcome was always warm and generous, her voice and warmth radiating throughout the room. She adored her family and was happiest spending time with Bash on vacation, or with Sam, Danica, and Melanie on “Tribe Night” activities, or just relaxing with Mckenzie and Kaitlin, each of them enjoying the unique fulfillment that “doing nothing” can provide to those closest to you. Along with adoring her nieces and nephews and “adopted kids,” Airen also loved animals and all creation. How many bosses would let their employee’s pet hamster happily wander through the office in its plastic ball? Airen’s travels took her to destinations nearby and half a world away, from Romania to a Texas Animal Ranch and Refuge, to the beach (many times), and on the trip of a lifetime — to Thailand, where she spent three days immersed in an elephant sanctuary. She also enjoyed dog-sitting for Buddy and encouraged her Aunt Terri and Uncle Don to take trips so she could have some “Buddy time.”

Airen was driven by empathy and a strong sense of kindness and fairness. She respected her world and taught others to value it as well. Airen’s love and all-encompassing smile will be missed, but the lessons she modeled and the love she shared will be with us forever.

Survivors include her mother, Deborah Dandridge, brother Douglas (Noelle) Dandridge II, of Lancaster, Pa., and sister, Anne Dandridge (Michael Schwartz), of Lancaster, Pa. She is also survived by her longtime companion and the love of her life, Thomas Ott of York, Pa., Tom's two daughters, Mckenzie and Kaitlin, her nieces, Samantha, Danica, and Melanie, and her nephews, Sebastian and Nathaniel. She was preceded in death by her father and brothers, Brian and Adam.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held Sunday, March 5, at Heffner Funeral Chapel & Crematory, Inc., 1551 Kenneth Rd, York, PA 17408, at 1 p.m. Visitation will be held from 11:30-1:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The Wildlife Friends Foundation in Thailand through their PayPal account: donate@wfft.org. Giving to the foundation would honor Airen’s life and ensure that her precious elephants receive extra care in her name.

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