Elizabeth Joyce Leistner Broecker, born to Harry and Emma (Meyer) Leistner of Vineland, at age 81 passed away peacefully in her sleep on Saturday, August 4, 2012. She had been living at Camden County Health Center for the last 4 years. Elizabeth was an independent adventurous Deaf woman who never met a challenge she would turn down. A native of NJ, she graduated with hearing classmates from Vineland High School. After four children, she returned and graduated with honors from Gallaudet University. She moved to New Orleans to work, and came back to NJ to become the first director for the Center for the Deaf at the Community College of Philadephia. It was there she coined the term Telecommunication Device for the Deaf (TDD). Always a trailblazer, she was the first Deaf woman to be the Director for the newly established Division of the Deaf for the NJ Department of Labor and Industry for the State of NJ. Elizabeth continued to travel around America holding positions in El Paso, Texas and Seattle Washington, before coming back to settle in the South Jersey area and working for the Center for Family Services, the Tri-County Independent Living Center in Millville and the Total Living Center in Egg Harbor. In addition she held the position of editor-in-chief for the Silent News, America's oldest newspaper for Deaf people. Elizabeth always advocated for the rights of Deaf and Deaf-Blind people and fought to have access to interpreters everywhere. She is survived by her 4 children whom she loved fiercely: Candace Penn ( Matthew) of New York City; Clarence Broecker of New Orleans, Lousiana; Craig Broecker (Donna) of Turnersville, NJ, and Colin Broecker (Shannon) of Elmer, NJ.; She has 8 grandchildren: Kira Broecker, Kristan Broecker, Dylan Penn, Kevin Broecker, Aidan Penn, Alex Broecker, Rileigh Capone and Caitlyn Broecker. She is also survived by her 2 younger brothers: Robert Leistner (Jackie), and John Leistner, both of Vineland. A memorial service will be held on Friday at 11:00 am at the Wainwright-Bernhardt Funeral Home, 1024 E. Landis Ave. Vineland. Inurnment will follow in Siloam Cemetery. Relatives and friends will be received at the funeral home on Friday from 10:00-11:00 am. Please visit www.wbfuneralhome.com to send condolences to the family.