Rhonda Faye Lehman, 73, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, passed peacefully at her home surrounded by loved ones, on Saturday afternoon, April 11, 2026. She was born on November 16, 1952, in Dayton, Ohio to Cecil B. and Donna M. (Liles) Henn. She was married to her high school sweetheart, Steven W. Lehman, on May 22, 1976, in Berne, Indiana. What started in high school physics class grew into a lifetime of love and blessings, and together they built a life rich in faith, family, and enduring affection.
Rhonda was a devoted member of The Chapel (Fort Wayne) and had been baptized and married at the First Mennonite Church of Berne. She graduated from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music (Bloomington) earning a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance.
Music and love shaped Rhonda’s life—from her first church solo at the age of three to a lifetime of sharing her voice with others. While at Indiana University, she performed with the Singing Hoosiers and toured with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. In her early years, she directed a children’s choir in Berne and shared her gifts at numerous church events, service clubs, and pageants, including the honor of being Miss Adams County, Miss Mideastern, and a Top Ten Finalist for Miss Indiana.
In the years that followed, Rhonda continued to use her voice to bless others. She sang faithfully for her church worship team, performing in local civic theatre—including her recent role as Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music (2022)—and spent several years singing with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. In recent years, as a breast cancer survivor (2004), Rhonda devoted herself to encouraging others, becoming a motivational speaker for Christian women’s ministries throughout northern Indiana. Her voice can still be heard today in her seven beautiful albums such as On Broken Glass and The Hymns Project.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her son, Benjamin (December 5, 1981), and her daughter, Jillian (November 20, 1987).
She is survived by her brother, David Henn of Santa Rosa, California; her sister, Conna (Luke) Leitz of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and her children Robert (Chrissy) Lehman of Fort Wayne, Indiana; Erica (Clark) Downey of Windermere, Florida; Brittany Bennett of Las Vegas, Nevada; Alexander (Emily) Lehman of Mint Hill, North Carolina. She is also survived by 14 cherished grandchildren, each of whom was a great joy to her.
A funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, April 18, 2026, at the First Mennonite Church in Berne, Indiana, with Pastor Jeff Linthicum and Pastor Brandon Holler officiating. Burial will follow at M.R.E. Cemetery in Berne, Indiana.
The family will receive friends from 2:00 to 7:00 p.m. Friday, April 17, 2026, at the Zwick & Jahn Funeral Home, Yager-Kirchhofer Chapel in Berne, Indiana, and from 9:00 to 9:45 a.m. prior to the service on Saturday.
Memorials will be made to Three Oaks Christian School and St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
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