Born in East Chicago, Indiana, on April 5, 1959, she was graduated from Indiana University at Bloomington with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. She later received a Master of Education degree from The University of Texas at Austin Texas Principal Leadership Academy.
Yolanda initially worked as a carpenter. After completing an apprenticeship, she became a master carpenter, building homes and structures including The Temple of Goddess Spirituality dedicated to Sekhmet in Cactus Springs, Nevada.
Later pursuing a career in education, she earned her Bilingual Teaching Certification through the Region XIII Education Service Center’s Alternative Certification Program. She was a bilingual kindergarten teacher at Austin ISD and an administrator at Austin ISD and at San Marcos CISD before becoming a lecturer in the Texas State University College of Education Curriculum and Instruction Department.
A good steward of the earth, Yolanda was known for her passion for all species of animals and plants. She particularly loved dogs, especially her lab Honey, and gardening, often chastising friends for using non-native plants or placing trees inappropriately in their landscaping.
A member of the Hays County Master Naturalists, she had 73 hours of Advanced Training and spent 717 hours (yes, 717) volunteering at various nature organizations, including the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, where she was employed to work admissions in the kiosk. She also eagerly anticipated and then celebrated the annual release of the Wildflower Center guidebooks and their annual plant sales, for which she religiously took days off from work to volunteer.
Yolanda appreciated nature to the fullest and firmly believed that the world would be a better place if we all spent more time in nature appreciating all it has to offer. She loved the moon and the stars and encouraged people to get outside to gaze at them. She could easily identify many constellations in the night sky and was recently deeply concerned by Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Tweet saying that the red supergiant star, Betelgeuse, one of the brightest stars in the sky that also marks the left armpit of the constellation Orion, has lost 60 percent of its brightness during the last six months.
Equally important, Yolanda believed ALL people deserved to live with dignity and without fear, to be cared for and valued. Accordingly, she embraced activism for equal rights for all, including LGBTQIA+, immigrants, women, and indigenous persons.
Keenly interested in politics and in education, she believed in the power of bilingualism and the honoring of one’s identity, roots, and heritage. She frequently sent text messages to close friends at all hours of the day and night with links to “must read” political Tweets and encouragement to join protest marches. She also wished everyone would watch The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC.
Yolanda was a people person who never met a stranger. She made friends wherever she went. Children and adults were drawn to her genuineness. She had a hearty laugh that was enjoyed by all and found humor in the simplest of things. She was a huge fan of sci-fi and classic horror movies, sports and lifting weights.
Preceded in death by her parents, Bernard Reyes and Margarita Reyes, she is survived by her sister, Maggie Reyes; her only nephew, Sebastian Reyes; closest of friends, Valerie Borchers; and numerous beloved family members and friends in Austin, San Antonio and Mexico.
A memorial service will be held at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center on Sunday, March 8, at 2 p.m. Guests are invited to bring a memory to share at the service. Dress is casual. (Jeans and sneakers or boots would be most appropriate for the location and for Yolanda).
Although flowers would be welcomed, Yolanda would have greatly appreciated donations to the Wildflower Center (www.wildflowercenter.org/donate) or to the ACLU (https://action.aclu.org/give/now). Alternatively, for a powerful but non-financial tribute that she’d appreciate the most, please VOTE on all voting days and spend as much time as possible outside!
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