Yvonne Frances Beatty, née Taylor, third child of Professor Samuel S. Taylor and Exie Carter Taylor, was born Sept 28 in New Orleans, LA. Early in her life the family moved to Little Rock Arkansas (after short stays in Chicago and Denver) where her father joined the Philander Smith College Faculty.
Yvonne attended parochial and public schools in Little Rock, Arkansas graduating from Dunbar High School, including one year in Dunbar Jr. College, in 1941 at 16 years of age. In 1942, she left Arkansas while still a teenager and moved to Seattle with an older brother (Marshall Taylor one of the twins), under the National Youth Administration Program. She worked briefly in Bremerton at the Puget Sound Naval shipyard then returned to Seattle, and continued her education at Seattle University, later graduating from Auerswald Business College in Seattle. In September of 1943 she married the “love of her life” Cecil S. Beatty a marriage that lasted for over 70 years. Two dear children, Pamela and Phyllis brightened the marriage with extended love.
Her work life included employment at the Seattle Port of Entry working for the U.S. Army; office manager for the Prentiss I Frazier Bonding Company; Office Manager for the East Madison YMCA; Office Manager for the Seattle New Careers Project and as Deputy clerk of the U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington state. She concluded her employment as an investigator for the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services when she had to retire from this position after a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis.
After she retired, she continued to volunteer at her church as a member of the Sanctuary choir (for over 60 years). She loved her church and truly enjoyed singing the standard hymns and Spirituals.
Yvonne had many hobbies. She was an excellent swimmer and performed synchronized swimming with the downtown YWCA for several years. She was an avid reader and volunteered as a tutor in the SPS McClure middle school. She loved family gatherings and adored children. She artistically made a Black Dolls collection and encouraged her daughters to explore areas of education, public speaking, dance and the arts. She loved preparing special meals for her family and was the “official” turkey chef of the family Thanksgiving dinners, which also included her pecan pies and peach cobblers. She loved to travel and she and Cecil enjoyed many trips around the world during daughter Pamela’s employment with TWA (Trans World Airlines).
She was preceded in death by her parents Samuel S. and Exie C. Taylor; twin brothers Marshall W. and Monroe Carter Taylor; sister Felisa and granddaughter Catherine Sumiye Yasutake.
She is survived by her loving husband Cecil, sisters Jesse.K. Wilson, Clara (Elon) Sudduth; cousin Marie Morgan Maxwell sister-in-law Diane Beatty; loving daughters, Rev. Pamela Grace Beatty and Phyllis (John) Yasutake; grand children: Cecil, John Michael, George, Felisa, Carter and Pamela Yasutake; great grands: Aliceon, Keone, and Kayin Yasutake, and Barrett W. Anderson
Extended family includes Leonard Russell, Robin Finley; nephews Hugh and Mickey Fountain, David and Evan Hundley and Lance Suddeth as well as Pamela Hughes and Abigail Hundley.
In lieu of flowers the family would like donations sent to:
The Phyllis Mayo Scholarship Fund
Northern Lights Spiritual Center,
P.O. Box 59488,
Renton, WA 98058
