Yvonne Louise Stuart

Yvonne “Vonnie” Louise Stuart passed away on April 7, 2026 with her family and many loved ones by her side. Vonnie was born June 25, 1945, in Dallas, Texas, to Ivan and Louise Brown. Vonnie was the older sister to William and Patricia - who she lovingly referred to as Bill and Patty. Vonnie and Bill were partners in crime, and with the arrival of Patty, they had the perfect baby doll to play dress up and carry around.

Vonnie grew up in Houston and was in the first graduating class from Memorial High School in 1963. There she forged strong friendships that she maintained no matter where she lived - from Pennsylvania to Virginia and eventually back home to Texas. Vonnie made many more lifelong friends along the way and cherished those relationships.

Vonnie was a wonderful storyteller! Her infectious laugh will always be remembered with fondness. Her sense of humor was especially on display in the retelling, (and retelling and retelling!) of her favorite memories. Vonnie was sharp as a tack and a true historian as she never forgot a friend, a name or the history behind it! She often recounted stories that were filled with mischievous adventures from her youth. If you were one of the friends who played a part in any of these fun filled shenanigans, trust that your war stories were retold with the clarity as if they happened yesterday!One “G” rated memory she loved to share was the time when she and Bill packed up and ran away because they were forced to take a nap. The injustice could not be overlooked! Details of how and what they packed were straight out of a Mark Twain novel! Of course, around dinnertime, when they started to get hungry, they decided things were not as dire as they initially assessed, and they made their way back home.

Vonnie loved decorating her home, working in her yard and throughly enjoyed entertaining and hosting dinner parties (a trait she inherited from her mother). She was an excellent cook! Vonnie was a platinum level shopper at QVC and the Jewelry Channel, those closest to her benefitting from an endless supply of goat milk products, kitchen scissors, flashlights and sparkly baubles and trinkets! However, out of her many talents, interests and passions, technology was not one of them! She refused to have a computer or a smartphone. Loved ones would often laugh about her intentional resistance to what others deemed as progress and a necessity. Vonnie did however love to talk on the phone and she spent many hours a day staying connected with those she cherished most!The running joke was that she needed to keep a 10 minute timer by the phone to limit her lengthy conversations. It never worked!

Yvonne was a kind, caring, and compassionate soul. She lovingly cared for many family members when they faced serious health issues but found it hard to let people help her when she needed it most. Vonnie maintained a positive attitude and rarely complained about her own circumstances. She consistently faced her own very serious health needs with a determination and resolve that allowed her to survive over 25 years beyond the 3-6 month life expectancy the doctors gave her!

As much as she loved people, she was not a fan of animals - that is until she met Major Peters. He was a stray cat that adopted her and her husband one cold winter when they lived in Hot Springs, Virginia. She was moved to compassion for the starving and half-frozen cat, and he quickly went from an outside kitty to a constant and deeply loved companion. He became the first of many kitties to find a special place in her heart and home.

Beyond everything else meaningful in her life, she was most proud of her children and grandchildren. You could never leave a conversation without her saying more than a few words about how amazing her sons were or how she had the most beautiful and brilliant grandchildren!

Yvonne was preceded in death by her husband A. Gordon Stuart, parents Ivan R. and W. Louise Brown, son Nyal Harrison Witham Jr., brother William Doyle Brown, sister Patricia Lynnete Nesler and nephew Christopher Brown.

Yvonne is survived by her son Brad Witham and wife Beth, Daughter-In-Law Linda, grandchildren Kaleigh Blanton, Luke Witham, Clare Witham and Pressly Witham. She also leaves several great-grandchildren, nieces, great-nieces, great-nephews, great-great nieces/nephews as well as an amazing number of friends.

No service has been held at this time giving the family time to adjust to the loss of their beloved Yvonne. There are plans for a Celebration of Life honoring Vonnie in the near future.