Yolanda C. Villarreal

Yolanda C. Villarreal, affectionately referred to as “Chick,” by her late husband of 56 years, as “Aunt Yo” by her many nieces and nephews, and as “Yo Yo” by her great-grandniece, was reunited in Heaven with her parents, a sister (Maria Edilia), her son, and her husband on Friday, January 17, 2025, at the age of 79, while surrounded by her adoring brothers and family.

Yolanda was born in Benavides, Texas, on March 25, 1945, to Marin Villarreal, Sr. and Maria Guadalupe Carvajal Villarreal. She had a happy childhood and a close-knit family with the support and protection of two loving brothers and many tias and tios in addition to her parents and neighbors within her small community in Robstown where the family settled. Yolanda went on to graduate as Valedictorian from Robstown High School in 1963. Upon graduating, she married her high school sweetheart, Joaquin Villarreal III. While he was serving in the Vietnam War, she began attending Texas College of Arts and Industries in Kingsville, Texas, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education on May 27, 1967. On March 6, 1972, the couple welcomed their only child, Mario Javier Villarreal, who was the light of Yolanda’s life. In May of 1980, Yolanda received her Master of Science degree from Corpus Christi State University. She then began her successful career as a high school guidance counselor before retiring after 31 years of service in the field of education.

Ever since she was young, Yolanda enjoyed being outside, sewing, reading, exercising, and spending time with friends and family. Yolanda could often be found enjoying the breeze in her big, yellow chair in the yard of her Robstown dream home that she and Joaquin built, working a puzzle, sewing, starting yet another arts and crafts project, or preparing little gifts, or “cariñitos” as she would call them, “little signs of affection,” for just about everyone she encountered.

Though an educator until she retired in 1998, education was not just a career for Yolanda, she valued and nurtured a lifelong love of learning and was passionate about promoting education. As a matter of fact, she and her husband, Joaquin, would give scholarships in the name of their late son, Mario, to any of the nephews and nieces attending college to help offset the cost of the first semester. Her work as a public-school teacher and counselor was a time of great delight and personal achievement for her. She’d often recount humorous stories of the joy and purpose her students gave to her life and continued to think of and pray for the ones she felt she couldn’t help as much as she’d wished. One story she’d recall often was of a time when she’d threatened her students that the “Maria Villarreal,” in her was going to come out if they did not stop their shenanigans and focus on learning the math she was teaching. She said she’d be fuming when she’d look out at the class exasperated to see a young lady on the front row blowing her a kiss and saying, “We love you Miss. V.!” which always caused her to burst out laughing and return to her loving and longsuffering self. Or, after teaching her heart out (blood, sweat, and tears) in Algebra the entire year only to hear a student ask just before the state assessment, “Miss! So… what’s X again?” After her retirement, she was always incredibly touched by the countless times she was approached by previous students and told what a positive impact she’d had on their lives.

She took pride in her role as a counselor as well and remained a counselor, friend, and confidante to the end of her life here on Earth. In fact, Yolanda, filled the role of mother for many, and her death has left a void in the numerous hearts and lives that she touched daily, causing contemplation on how to do life now that she is no longer here.

There’s no doubt that her passing has left what feels like an unfillable void, but Yolanda would say to fill it with God, family, and friends. What’s more, she modeled the example of Jesus Christ, leaving a legacy of love. In Matthew 6:16, the Bible says, “You will know them by their fruits” (NKJV). Yolanda led a life that yielded much fruit, obvious by the many lives mourning her absence.

A recent example of this can be seen in her Y Ladies of Laughter Club (YLOL) inspired by Yolanda’s love of a culmination of her favorite things to do in life: visiting with others, giving gifts, celebrating life, encouraging one another in the difficult times, and exercising. After joining the YWCA’s water aerobics class, Yolanda naturally made several friends, and the group of 6 or 8 quickly grew to 25 plus because of her love and magnetic personality. Everyone loved Yolanda, and Yolanda loved everyone!

Despite the many challenges she conquered throughout her life such as being a Latina woman during the Chicana and Feminist movements, being the wife of a prominent politician, all while working and raising a child that she lost when he was only 40, caring for her mother, and helping her with her sister with disabilities, Yolanda never turned bitter nor took life for granted. She always encouraged others to do the same, reminding us that the bitter moments in life make the sweeter ones all the more “delectable.”

She is survived by her brothers, Marin Villarreal, Jr. and Homero C. Villarreal; and sister, Maricela Villarreal, of Corpus Christi, Texas, as well as by her nephews and nieces, Dagoberto Gonzalez (Diana), Richard Gonzalez, Tracy Villarreal (Becky), Mark Villarreal (Tanna), Lisa Diane Whitmire (Karl), Sandra Villarreal Montgomery (Steven), and Ana Maria Villarreal Quesnel (Jason); her many cherished grand and great-grand nephews and nieces; and her devoted canine companion, Xochitl.

The family would like to give special thanks to all for your love, prayers, and support during this most challenging time.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to your favorite church or charity.

A visitation for Yolanda will be held Saturday, February 22, 2025 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM, with a Celebration of Life to be held at 1:00 pm at Memory Gardens Funeral Home & Cemetery, 8200 Old Brownsville Road, Corpus Christi, Texas 78415.

An inurnment will follow at 3:00 PM at Robstown Memorial Park, 4607 FM 1889, Robstown, TX 78380.