Obituary of Rita Kathryn Yonker

Our beloved mother, mentor, leader, and friend Kitty Yonker passed away peacefully on Friday, June 3. After growing up in West Virginia, she met and married Dick, a fellow student in her master’s degree cohort at Harvard. The newlyweds spent their honeymoon driving to Minneapolis so that Dick could teach math at Breck School. Always the supporter, Kitty stood behind Dick during his decades-long career. Later, Kitty became a respected nurse practitioner in school nursing and public health. In retirement, she spent time with her family, wintered in Florida, cheered on the Minnesota Twins, and volunteered. Until her last day, Kitty lived selflessly, putting others’ needs before her own. She left an indelible mark on the world, and she will be deeply missed. Kitty was preceded in death by her loving husband Dick and sister Paula. She is survived by sons Rick (Suzanne) and John (Apryl) and grandchildren Sara, Janelle (Stephen), Duncan, Hannah, and Delaney, great-granddaughter Havalah, and many relatives and friends. A visitation is planned at the Cremation Society of Minnesota, 7110 France Ave South, Edina, MN 55435 on Friday, July 29 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. with a Celebration of Life service to follow at 3:00 p.m.