Yolanda Rae Raymer

The Yolanda we knew was a dedicated choir director, Sunday school teacher, executive assistant for the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), supporting member of Blue Star Mothers, patriotic wife of a Marine Corps Veteran, leader of the Dynamic All Stars baton group, and a devoted aunt and sister. “Yo”, as she was affectionately known, was a person who always gave others more than she got in return. She was clearly a person filled with the love of Christ for all the people she met. There is no doubt that her mother Ruth, who played the piano for more than 70 years of services at Mountain View Baptist Church, had a lot to do with that but in her own right Yo has done far more than her fair share to help usher in the coming Kingdom. As Choir Director, she could be counted upon to be here well-rehearsed and ready to lead the choir for virtually every Sunday without fail. The enthusiasm she radiated raised the spiritual level of every service she supported. She helped lead countless individuals to the Lord both as a Sunday school teacher and as Choir Director. She helped organize special music events for important church holidays and worked tirelessly with the church youth program. She was 100% dependable and added musical talent and special meaning to every service. On rare occasions when she wasn’t there everyone knew it was because she was participating in a family event involving her niece Bea or nephew Patrick. She was well known at DARS as the go to person who always had a smile and a helping hand for everyone. She always could be counted upon to go the extra mile to help someone in need. Her patriotism could only be described as fiercely All American. Yo was normally patient and slow to anger but there was one exception to her easy going personality. It would be discovered quickly by anyone foolhardy enough to disparage her much beloved Marine Corps or Country. Some people talk about making America great but she did it one small piece at a time, every day of her life. She was a force for good in any environment. As a majorette in High School at Stafford High School, she established a lifetime love of baton twirling that culminated in 45 years of service as the leader of the Dynamic All Stars. She took her group to countless parades in surrounding towns and even to the parade at the Magic Kingdom in Orlando. Her group brought back hundreds of trophies, many of them first place awards, from Drum Majorettes of America competitions and parades. Two of her protégé are currently feature twirlers at Clemson University. There are numerous generations of twirlers in Stafford County who have benefitted from her leadership and instruction, but more importantly, by the example she set as a Christian who reflected the love of God back into this world. Yo firmly believed in the hope we have in Jesus. Her headstone, which she pre-ordered, reflects this belief with the inscription “Yours for a little while with Jesus forever.” We will miss her a lot but we are all better off for her having passed this way and we know her place in the life to come is secure. That’s the Yo we all knew and loved.

The family requests donations in her behalf in lieu of flowers to Mountain View Baptist Church, Mountain View Baptist Church, King George, VA 22485.