Rebecca Ann Yancey

Rebecca Ann Yancey, 81, former secretary for Elvis Presley, passed away peacefully on July 13, 2021 in the presence of her loving family in Fort Wayne, Indiana after a short illness. Becky was the widow of her beloved husband of 41 years Jerry Yancey and is survived by her only son, Dr. Jerry Yancey, Jr. (Jennifer), dear grandchildren, Joel and John of Fort Wayne, Indiana; only brother, Harold Hartley (Nita) of Cordova, Tennessee; and close cousin, Barbara Brown of Grenada, Mississippi. She was preceded in death by her parents, Hulet and Elizabeth Hartley of Memphis, Tennesse. She was a member of the Whitehaven Class of 1959 in her longtime hometown of Memphis. A young fan and occasional date, she asked Elvis for a job at a Graceland party one night when he told her to return the next day to become his secretary where she was an insider for the next thirteen years until 1975. Her experiences at Graceland were published in an upbeat memoir catapulted to a best seller given Elvis’ untimely death near the time of its release. Her southern charm and professionalism were displayed throughout the country and in London on a grueling several month book tour to include appearances on Good Morning America, 20/20, and To Tell the Truth as well as countless radio, TV, and newspaper interviews in a world hungry for anything related to her former boss. She enjoyed her family, friends, travel, and volunteering with Special Olympics. The love and friendships of the Elvis community sustained her for the last several years and the family wishes to thank them for their prayers and support. Fort Wayne visitation will be from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. Saturday July 24, 2021 at D.O. McComb and Sons Covington Knolls Funeral Home, 8325 Covington Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Memphis visitation will be held Sunday, August 1, 2021 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Memphis Funeral Home, 5599 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee. A funeral service will be held Monday, August 2, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. at Memphis Funeral Home with committal service to follow.