Maximillian Yakelewicz

Maximillian “Max” Yakelewicz, 25, passed away on August 9, 2026. Born on May 29, 2001, Maximilian was a kind-hearted, adventurous, and outgoing young man with a special gift for connecting with people and animals' souls, as they were naturally drawn to him like gravity since he was a child. Max had a deep love for animals and had many pets that he cared for over the years. He found deep joy in helping others and approached everything in life with courage and determination. An avid wrestler during his elementary and high school years, he graduated from the JROTC program at Northern Burlington High School in 2019. Max went on to serve in the US Navy from 2020- 2024. He was accepted into the Submarine Academy and was later stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he retired honorably. Max had a passion for Ford Mustangs and created a detailing business. He spent his remaining years residing in a state park in Florida.

He is survived by his loving wife, Lauren Houghteling; his father, Clifford Yakelewicz and stepmother, Faith; his mother, Cynthia Kalmes and her partner, John Hall; his sister, Elizabeth Yakelewicz and her partner, Chris Seldon; his niece Celeste, as well as many aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins.

A viewing will be held from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Tuesday, August 18th at Peppler's Funeral Homes, 114 South Main Street, Allentown, New Jersey. A second viewing will be held from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM on Wednesday, August 19th, followed by the funeral service at noon at the same location. Burial will follow at Brigadier General William C. Doyle Cemetery in Wrightstown.

Please consider making a donation in Max's name to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675.

May the Creator shelter you in the palm of his hand, and the Great Mother welcome you home. Peace.

An Open Letter from Elizabeth...

I lit a candle for you and the flame danced for hours. I prayed for you as I blew out the flame. Hoping you found your way to heaven. You brought so much love and light to everyone's lives. We shared our best times and some of our worst times together. We shared an unbreakable bond always having each other's back. My love for you will never die and I will forever miss you and the possibilities of growing old together. We had so many plans and our whole life to live. I will always love you my dear brother. I will continue to pray for you. I hope and pray that you are at peace and not in pain. You'll forever be my little chicken and I will always be your big lizard. You were the star in our family, the comedian, the gentleman, the kindhearted soul. You had a great head of hair too, you were so proud to grow your hair out that long. The people who truly love you will never call you a burden. It's a shame that it takes for your passing for everyone to get together. I'm honestly tired of only seeing family when something happens. To show love and support we need to be together as a family and not wait to make things right.

Without you, I feel like a part of me has died. It was me and you against the world Max. Remember when we talked about having you move in with us? Man we were so excited to have you around. I remember when Chris asked you to be his best man at our wedding and you were so excited. Don't worry, I know you'll still be there when we do. You will always be my best friend, the person I can tell anything to and not be judged for being me. You always found ways to calm me down when I was feeling uneasy in life. I remember the first time you laid eyes on your niece, and you fell in love. You told me "Man that baby is magical, she makes me want to stop smoking cigarettes." You were the comedian and I am the serious one. We complimented each other like salt and pepper..you couldn't have one without the other. I remember that time we were making home cooking videos on my old iPod and Dad saw the video of you and I making a peanut butter and jelly burrito and we were arguing about what went first. Haha Dad said "Max, the peanut butter goes first."

We had sooooo many good memories. Remember when I gave myself whiplash with a frozen chocolate bar on Christmas?? Faith said she wished she had her camera out for that one. I remember we all just laughed so hard afterwards. I remember when you, Mom and I would laugh and sing together before driving back to Dad's house..you used to make her laugh so hard she almost peed herself. Do you remember when we had that huge party at Moms house in Bordentown and you blew up the bamboo in front of the house? I thought it was fireworks, it was sooo loud. You made life adventurous and memorable, I will always cherish you my dear brother. You'll forever be a part of me. I am you and you are me. I love you so much buddy. I will see you on the other side when it's my time.