Yolanda Nevarez

      To Yolanda Nevarez, the entire world was a stage. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual, she was a performer in the theater of life. To everyone around her, she seemed to be eternally happy, and she willingly shared that joy with anyone whose life she touched. For Yolanda, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark or the twinkle of an eye. And with just those simple gestures, she could evoke the most pleasant of emotions. Yolanda really mastered the art of living and had great fun in doing so.      Yolanda was born on February 3, 1950 at San Joaquin General Hospital in Stockton, California. Her parents were Pete and Juanita Navarez. Yolanda was raised in Stockton, California. Even as a child, Yolanda had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around her. She was raised to be warm, caring and friendly. She couldn’t help but capture everyone’s attention. She was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, she succeeded in entertaining her entire family.      Always a good playmate, Yolanda was easygoing and fun loving. She managed to lighten the mood wherever she was, even during family squabbles. She seemed to have a knack for bringing compromise and erasing tense situations around the house. Due to a generous dose of common sense, Yolanda managed to find a satisfying solution to basic problems. Yolanda was raised with two siblings. She had an older brother Alex and sister Bonnie.      All of Yolanda's playful good humor carried over into her childhood. She was possessed with an outgoing personality, a lively imagination and a mellowed enthusiasm for life that allowed her to be constantly on the go. As a result, Yolanda experienced a rather active childhood, and this suited her very well. Yolanda's memorable achievements included staying alive.      Yolanda never actually encountered a stranger in her dealings with people. She was drawn to individuals and crowds, using her gregarious, adaptable and outgoing personality to captivate her audience. This quality allowed Yolanda to continually develop new relationships, ever widening her circle of friends. Yolanda delighted in her role among all her acquaintances, because she viewed them all as potential spectators for her performance. Whether it was a story, a joke, a song or just plain fooling around, Yolanda was always right at home putting on a show among her friends. Yolanda utilized her interest in others as a great way to connect with them. While growing up, some of her best friends were her brother and sister. Later in life, she became friends with everyone she met. Yolanda loved sharing life and having her home filled with people she knew.      At work, as in life, Yolanda was a real “people person. ” she had a very successful way of dealing effectively with others, and her enthusiasm and energy was often contagious. Yolanda liked to see herself as something of a virtuoso. When dealing with various projects and problems, Yolanda was an adaptable realist, using her common sense and trusting her experiences and impulses to uncover the correct answer. Yolanda's talent for being a down to earth thinker, allowed many around her to see Yolanda as an excellent problem solver. Her primary occupation was dedicating to love everyone.      Yolanda enjoyed her leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. An “arts and crafts” type, Yolanda liked creating and making things. Her favorite pursuits were watching tv and listening to all music especially loved Country Western. Yolanda was content to enjoy her hobbies alone but was also willing to share her interests with others.      Yolanda felt excited and challenged by sports. Even if she wasn’t the best, Yolanda loved to participate and thoroughly enjoyed the competition and the pleasure of being around other people. Yolanda relished the opportunities where she could make an impact, and she would often push herself to play above her abilities. A quick thinker who understood the basics, Yolanda never seemed to get caught off guard, even when confronted with unexpected conflict. Yolanda was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite events whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were football, Baseball and basketball but she loved all sports.      Living life in the fast lane suited Yolanda just fine. It is no surprise that she loved to travel and to visit new and different places. She was naturally curious about other parts of the world and loved the real life adventure that came from visiting them. She was impulsive and willing to try anything once. Favorite vacations included Tahoe, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Oklahoma.      Yolanda was a lover of animals and cherished her pets, enjoying them almost as much as she enjoyed being around other people. One of Yolanda's favorites was Dogs: Chacha, Toots, Linda, Chuka and cats: Mona, Josi and Sancho. They were best friends for One at a time as they lived. Chuka and Sancho are still alive.      Yolanda passed away on January 14, 2010 at at home in Bonnie's Arms in San Jose, California. She felt ill suddenly and died 5 hours later. She is survived by her father, sister and caregiver Bonnie, Bonie's husband Vick, nephews Alex, Paul and Vicente, aunts, uncles and cousins. Services were held at St. Phillip's Episcopal Church. Yolanda was laid to rest in Calvary Catholic Cemetery in San Jose, California.      Yolanda brought joy to all of those around her. She never had a mean bone in her body. She loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. She loved to share her energy, wit, and her zest for all of her activities with her friends and family. Yolanda Nevarez lived life to its fullest and made everyone around her happier just for knowing her. She will be remembered with a smile.