Elizabeth Brunelle Yates

Liz was born in San Francisco on June 13th, 1954. She moved often during her childhood and began working at the age of 14. Liz attended Sweet Home Senior High School in New York and later graduated from St. Mary's College of Maryland in 1978 with a degree in developmental psychology.

After college, Liz went on to run the Goldsboro Home in Culpeper, a group home for disabled adults. She made an unexpected career move in the early eighties and became a much-loved DJ and reporter for stations such as WAVA and WFLS. It was during this time that she met her beloved husband, Stuart Lee Yates.

She and Lee brought up two children, giving them an idyllic childhood in rural Spotsylvania County, Virginia.

Later on, Liz worked for 19 years in the library at Brock Road Elementary School, where she touched the lives of thousands of children and became a steady, caring presence in the school community.

After retiring from Brock Road in 2019, she devoted herself to community service and relationships with friends and loved ones. Liz attended Wilderness Community Church regularly, volunteered at the food pantry, and helped out at Living Water Community Clinic. Liz even worked briefly as an election official. She spent a great deal of time at Planet Fitness and was a proud member of The Scottish Society of Fredericksburg. Liz also joyfully served as the "mascot" of a weekly Mah Jong meet-up, where she delighted in friendships old and new.

Perhaps her most treasured role was that of Nana to her grandson, Charlie. She helped to raise him and instilled in him the qualities of integrity, gentleness, and consideration for others.

A caregiver herself in every way, Liz had a tender heart and a special way of listening to and affirming others. She embodied humility, devotion, and courage, among so many other unique traits. Liz truly was one-of-a-kind.

Unbeknown to some, she also possessed a riotous sense of humor. Liz would do almost anything to make people laugh and used humor to cope with the challenges of life.

Fiercely independent, she served as the de facto groundskeeper of the family home until her sudden illness.

Though Liz endured many losses throughout her life, she remained a person of steadfast faith who privately identified with the sacrifice of Christ. We take comfort in knowing she is rejoicing and reunited with her family in Heaven.

Liz is survived by her daughter, Sarah (Matthew) Absher; her beloved grandson, Charlie; her niece, Amanda (Jason) Kidd; her mother-in-law, Jacqueline Yates; her sisters-in-law, Deborah Paxton and Mary Ellen Yousefian; as well as several beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins, along with countless friends whose lives she touched.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Stuart Lee Yates; her son, Stuart Duncan Yates; her mother, Hilda Routledge; her father, Eugene Brunelle; her brother, Andrew Brunelle; and her sister, Ann Brunelle.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 10 AM on February 28th, 2026 at Wilderness Community Church. A private internment will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Wilderness Community Church in support of its outreach missions.