Tiffany Lynn (Eckels) O’Donnell, 43, of Hershey passed away on August 5, 2023, surrounded by her family, after braving a hard-fought journey with breast cancer.
Tiffany was a warrior with a heart of gold, and her everlasting inspiration will fill the people who knew her with the incredible joy she felt for life. Her greatest happiness stemmed from the love and passion she shared with her family and friends cheering on every life milestone, accomplishment, and happy occasion. Her proudest contribution to the world was her daughter, her “little peanut” Elizabeth, whom she adored and supported in every way imaginable.
Tiffany was a shining inspiration and instant friend to everyone who had the pleasure to meet her. She loved making homemade crafts to share with her friends, was a diehard Philadelphia sports fan, and a frequent team mom and volunteer for her daughter’s sports teams and school activities.
Born June 4, 1980, in Altoona; her family later moved to Mechanicsburg. Tiffany was a 1998 graduate of Cumberland Valley High School and went on to receive her Bachelor of Science in Marketing from West Chester University. Her passion to always be in service to others led her to a career in healthcare, serving the Cancer Institute and Breast Center at Penn State Health. Tiffany’s kindhearted personality provided countless cancer patients with a comforting word, the most beautiful smile, and the knowledge they would not be facing their cancer journeys alone.
A former All-American Cheerleader, Tiffany’s lovable personality, the brightest blue eyes you will ever see, and her compassion for helping people led her to become a fierce and relentless advocate for numerous cancer support groups. Over the years, she helped to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for organizations including the Young Survival Coalition (YSC), the METAvivor organization, and Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. One of her top passions was riding in the 200-mile YSC Tour de Pink charity bicycle ride and spending time with other young women on a similar journey. As one of her dear friends put it regarding the annual weekend event, “you put a bunch of young women together who have faced death, and you get a whole bunch of living!” The sisterhood she formed through these activities was a source of strength, inspiration, and courage to fight and live every day to the fullest.
Tiffany is survived by her husband, Brian O’Donnell; their daughter, Elizabeth Maree; parents, Randy and Cindy (Vogel) Eckels; sister, Heather and brother-in-law, Ryan Melick; paternal grandmother, Francy Eckels; parents-in-law Dennis and Linda O’Donnell; sisters-in-law Kathleen Butler and Carrie Ann Bickhart; and best friend, Courtney McCaleb.
She was preceded in death by paternal grandfather, Edward W. Eckels and maternal grandparents, Francis and Ruthanna Vogel.