Terri Jean Yantis

Born in San Antonio, Texas, on April 11, 1954, to Carl B. Price and Norva Jean Smith Sibley, Terri built a life centered around caring for others. As a young mother, she made the remarkable decision to put herself through nursing school, proving that determination and love could accomplish extraordinary things. She went on to spend many years as a nurse, caring for patients in both hospital settings and private practices specializing in obstetrics/gynecology and family medicine. Caring for others came naturally to her, and she dedicated much of her life to helping those who needed her most.

In recent years, she and her beloved husband, Scott Yantis, made their home in a small beach town in Mexico, where they spent their time enjoying the beauty of the ocean and welcoming visits from the people they loved most.

Terri found joy in life’s little pleasures. She loved gardening, shopping, searching for the perfect gift for someone she loved, and eating Mexican food. She adored animals, especially dogs, and seemed to have a special gift for making both children and animals instantly trust and love her.

Terri loved decorating and creating beautiful spaces. Whether it was her favorite holidays, Halloween and Christmas, or any other occasion in between. She could transform any space to be filled with color, decorations, and especially candles that made every room smell and look inviting. She especially enjoyed hosting holidays and special occasions, always going all out with decor and details that reflected her creativity and love for celebrating.

She loved the beach and built a beautiful life there with Scott, but her favorite days were always the ones when her children, grandchildren, and their friends came to visit. She never turned down a shopping trip, could always be counted on for a wildly inappropriate joke.

More than anything, Terri loved being a mother and, later, a grandmother and great-grandmother, lovingly known as “Mom-Mom”. Nothing brought her greater pride than the people she raised. She celebrated every accomplishment as if it were her own, enthusiastically sharing stories, photos, and Facebook posts with anyone who would listen. Watching her family grow was one of the greatest joys of her life.

Terri was a woman of great strength and equally great complexity. She was fiercely independent, strong-willed, opinionated, and never afraid to speak her mind. Loving her wasn’t always easy, and she would probably smile knowing that was said out loud. She challenged the people closest to her, and relationships with her were sometimes complicated, but love was never absent. It simply came in a language that wasn’t always easy to understand. Those who knew her best understood that beneath her stubbornness and determination was a woman who loved her family and friends deeply, even if she didn’t always know the easiest way to show it. Her imperfections made her human, and in the end, they were inseparable from the woman so many loved.

Terri was preceded in death by her beloved Nanny, Elenora F. Garrison; her parents, Carl B. Price and Norva Jean Sibley; her brother, Steven Price; her dear aunts, Doris Gibbs and Sandra James-Jackson; and her beautiful granddaughter, Isabella Pell.

She is survived by her devoted husband, Scott Yantis; her children, Stacie (John), Bryce (Laura), Jessica (Chris), Whitney (Trey), and Taylor (Kelley); her beloved grandchildren, Michael Ann, Presley, Prestyn, Emerson, Grayson, Jacob, Emmett, Sierra (Derick), and Kaleb; her treasured great-grandchildren, Stormi and Knox; her sister, Donna (Dennis), along with many nieces, nephews and extended family members, and lifelong friends who will miss her dearly.

A memorial service celebrating Terri’s life will be announced at a later date following her cremation.

In honor of Terri’s vibrant spirit, the family asks that those attending her memorial wear bright, colorful clothing rather than black. Anyone who knew Terri knows she embraced color in every part of her life, from her wardrobe to her beautifully decorated home, and it is only fitting that her life be celebrated with the same colors.

We will miss her laughter, her stubborn spirit, her colorful world, and the love she gave in her own unique way. Our hearts are better for having been loved by her.