Known to friends and acquaintances as a friendly, energetic, empathic and decisive woman, her compassionate nature would always shine through, revealing her charm, warmth and conscientious demeanor. She was warmhearted, gentle and organized in all the things she sought to accomplish. Yolanda was a mentor, a natural “teacher” capable of seeing things clearly, leading others and bringing out the best in all of those around her. She generally had a focus on harmony and peace.
Yolanda was born on February 21, 1925 in Ravenswood ,Queens. Her parents were Micheal and Susan. Yolanda was raised in Ravenswood. When she was young, Yolanda's friends and family found that “loving ” and “honest” were perfect words to describe her. Even as a child, Yolanda demonstrated strong qualities of self-confidence, perceptive ability and a disposition that was enjoyable to those around her.
Yolanda grew up with She was one of seven brothers and sisters. She had 4 brothers 2 sisters. Yolanda was constantly involved in all sorts of activities with her family. She was even-tempered, taking care not to get involved in too many family conflicts. This quality served her well, in perpetually bringing harmony, understanding and a sense of peace to the family. Yolanda carried these traits into her adult life and served as one of many reasons why family and friends found her pleasurable and delightful to be around. Yolanda was a person who genuinely understood and cared for others, making powerful connections with those she knew.
As a young girl, Yolanda was imaginative, ingenious, clever and a “novel” thinker. Regardless of whether her peers were older or younger, or came from different backgrounds, Yolanda could easily relate to other kids. She was an active child who took part in softball. In her spare time she liked to read. However, to Yolanda, the most fun to be had was simply playing and spending time with her many friends.
Compassionate and devoted, Yolanda worked hard to make her new family happy. She was always generous with her time and this meant that Patrick came first in Yolanda’s book. She was always caring and made certain that she considered Patrick’s feelings. By trusting her emotions, Yolanda did her best to make sure that both the marriage and home life ran smoothly. This is just one more example of how Yolanda was truly a person of empathy.
Yolanda’s quality of being a caring and tolerant person who was very accepting of others translated to being a good mother to her children. Yolanda shared these values with her Two sons, Patrick and Gary. Yolanda was also blessed with 6 grandchildren and 5 great grandsons, Elana , Andrea, Patrick, Jonathan , Nicole and Gary. Yolanda related well to children of all ages and was able to connect to them on their level. The children always loved her and she was completely and totally devoted to them.
Yolanda experienced success in her work life over and over again. Her primary occupation was Housewife , worked in a lab , she was a beautician for a short time, and lofts candy company. She worked at Lofts candy company for 10 years. Yolanda always made the effort to understand what was needed at work, and was well known by her colleagues as a team player. Yolanda took pride in managing her professional responsibilities and seemed to always know what was necessary to successfully complete a project. Yolanda was one to take the initiative and her skills at working cooperatively were highly valued. Yolanda continually sought to learn what her co-workers did well and how they were most effective, a talent that enabled her to help them develop their own potential.
Because she was organized and methodical, Yolanda took great pleasure in her various hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were playing Gin and she loved to play the slot machines at the casino. Yolanda enjoyed sharing her passions with others and could singularly focus on one hobby at a time.
Yolanda derived much satisfaction from sports. Because she was so instinctive and could always grasp the big picture, Yolanda delighted in the strategy and inner workings of a competition. Golf and bowling. Yolanda was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite sports whenever she got the opportunity. She loved to watch Bowling and golf.
Yolanda was well known to others for her ability to naturally and conscientiously move into action to help others, a quality that placed her as an active contributor to many community activities. Charismatic by nature, she was always viewed by others as someone who built bridges, connected to people, and upheld her personal values. Serving on committees for the st Lucie Church group ,st Anastasia church activities. Politically, Yolanda was Republican.
Yolanda’s faith was important to her. She was a member St Anastasia Church for about 60 years. During that time, she was involved in church arts and crafts and church fundraisers. She was compassionate and warm hearted, someone who truly cared for others and that was clearly demonstrated in her work with the congregation.
Yolanda enjoyed traveling, and because she was so well organized, she would take on the responsibility of planning and scheduling all of the family vacations. Her gift for keeping things lively meant that vacations with Yolanda were always enjoyable. Favorite vacations included Italy , she loved Florida , Alaska ,traveling throughout all of the Caribbean and many more beautiful destinations.
Yolanda was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. One of Yolanda's favorite was Crash. They were best friends for 16-17 years.
When Yolanda’s retirement finally came in She retried when her children where young, she was well prepared. Being the focused and organized person that she was, Yolanda had taken care to plan for this part of her life. When that time eventually arrived, Yolanda knew exactly what she wanted to do. Her new life involved relocating to little Neck ,Queens New York and Port st Lucie Florida. In retirement, she found new pleasure in Mahjong , Gin, going to the casino/arcade , Bingo, bowling, arts and crafts and church activities. Even in retirement, Yolanda continued to stay in touch with her old friends and made plenty of new acquaintances. She was active in the community and felt fulfilled.
Yolanda passed away on August 13, 2018 at She passed in her home in Little Neck NY surrounded by her loving family. Complications due to Cancer. She is survived by her Son Patrick , grandchildren Elana ,Andrea , Patrick ,Jonathan ,Nicole and Gary and her brother Anthony Lanni. Services were held at St Anastasia Church Douglaston NY. Yolanda was laid to rest in all faiths Cemetery.
Throughout her life, Yolanda was a gregarious and enthusiastic woman. She was generous in sharing her personal attributes, giving and helping those she knew and loved. She would often fill the role of coach, bringing out the best in everyone. She was imaginative, original, tender hearted and easy to get along with. Yolanda leaves behind her a legacy of life-long friendships and cherished memories.
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