Katrina Phillips Yurko

Katrina Phillips Yurko, beloved mother, grandmother, sister and teacher, passed away peacefully at her home in Snellville, Georgia, on February 1, 2025, age 67. She succumbed to breast cancer and was surrounded by her loving community in her final weeks.

Born on August 30, 1957, to Paul M. and Ruth P. (Fleury) Phillips in Cleveland, Ohio, she showed an early interest and aptitude for art, which continued over a lifetime. Attending several different schools east of Cleveland, as her family moved, she then graduated from Southwestern Central High School in Jamestown, New York. At various extracurricular art programs along the way, including the Chautauqua Institute, she won awards. Post-secondary study was at Buffalo State University, Cleveland Institute of Art and Case Western Reserve University, where her last degree allowed her to shift into teaching. Always wanting to better herself, she earned other advanced degrees/certifications throughout her career.

While in Cleveland, finishing up her schooling and starting her first teaching at a private school, she met David Yurko, whom she would later marry in 1983. They welcomed their daughter Marissa into the family and not long after, took the step of moving to the Atlanta area. Over the years, and in several residences, Katrina lived a life dedicated to family, creativity and compassion. A loving mother to daughters Marissa and Claire Yurko, she maintained her professional and family life. It was a bit of a wait, but when Marissa and her husband, David Berzack, had their son, Bryce, in 2016, she was all in. Creating innovative projects for him, as she had for her daughters, was her joy. She was as enthusiastic as she was loving with her grandson and was able to spend much time with him.

Katrina could relate to virtually everybody and make them feel connected. With her imaginative and interpersonal talents, and for thirty-four years, Katrina inspired generations of children as an educator. She taught at Berkeley Lake Elementary, Berkmar High School and briefly at Agnes Scott College. Besides the formal positions, she initiated private and a few group tutoring/encouraging sessions for people of all ages. She took children under her wing, coaching them not only in art but also in life. She leaves a far-reaching legacy of love, wisdom and art.

As a gifted and versatile artist herself, Katrina was a master of various mediums as well as ways to combine them. Her “weavings” in later years were her signature. Her work has always been an interplay of the curving, flowing with the geometric, sharp-angled. Like in life, she could always bring two sides together. Having cut her teeth doing profile portraits with her sister at fairs as a teenager, her faces and figures, real and fanciful, appeared in much of her work.

A generous spirit, Katrina felt for other beings. From the birds in her backyard to all the causes she believed in, she always helped, gave, served, volunteered. As an involved member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Gwinnett, she found a like-minded community committed to humanitarian and environmental causes. Whether to an individual or worthy organization, she gave herself. Her spirit and influence will continue to resonate with all who knew her. She was a loving, selfless woman whose contributions to her community and her family will be deeply missed. Her warmth and devotion to making the world a better place have left an indelible mark on the hearts of all who had the privilege of knowing her.

A memorial service will be held in her honor, Saturday, February 8 at Eternal Hills Funeral Home, Snellville, Georgia. In lieu of flowers, donations in her name can be made to The Audubon Society for the protection of birds.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her name can be made to The Audubon Society for the protection of birds. https://act.audubon.org/a/donate-search?SelectedFrequency=6&ms=digital-fund-ppc-google-brand-annual-20240000&gad_source=1.