Maryann Avis Yoon
Maryann Avis Yoon, a dedicated wife, mother and grandmother, died Thursday, July 9, 2020 in Upland, Calif., following an eight-year battle with dementia. She was 77.
Mrs. Yoon, born July 30, 1942 in Oak Park, Ill., touched the lives of those she met with a kind, caring and generous personality. The humble and unassuming matriarch dedicated much of her life to caring for others, most notably her husband of 53 years, their three children and seven grandchildren.
Her path toward helping others started from a very young age when, as the eldest of 11 siblings, she was called upon to help care for her younger brothers and sisters. It’s no surprise, then, that she went into pediatric nursing—a career choice that not only suited her caring nature, but one that would change her life.
It was during her night shifts at Augustana Hospital in Chicago that she met, Paul, the man she would marry on May 13, 1967. They had been married just over 53 years at the time of her death.
The couple raised three children, Amy, Peter and Bobby, and Mrs. Yoon littered their lives with the type of selfless devotion which defined her life. She was a room mother, chaperone, team mom, crossing guard and snack bar operator—all positions that enabled her to remain involved in her children’s lives.
When the children grew old enough, Maryann returned to work as a nurse and eventually earned an LPN license from Lehigh County Community College in 1980. She worked nights so as not to interfere with the kids’ hectic schedule of school events, concerts and sporting events. She never missed any of them.
As her children grew even older, she became a confidant who never passed judgement and provided a soft landing place during difficult times. When the family became separated by an overseas move to Saudi Arabia, she wrote weekly letters to her children and sent regular care packages of the delicious baked goods that became her calling card. She squirreled away money—she called it “my stash”—and was quick to dip in any time one of her children had a pressing need.
And while her dedication to her children defined her early years, a strong loyalty to her husband never wavered. She supported him through a career that required moves from Chicago to Syracuse, N.Y., to Flanders, N.J., to Emmaus, Penn., to Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia. The foreign move meant she could not be with her high school-aged children due to local restrictions and that she would have to give up her nursing career. Nevertheless, she did not complain.
While in Saudi, she took over running a consignment shop known as The Women’s Exchange, yet still managed to take care of all the details at home. She always made sure Paul had a hot, home-cooked dinner after work and that lunch was waiting for him after golf. Her family meant everything to her.
After retiring to Jacksonville, Fla., in 1995 to be near Amy, Mrs. Yoon spent the latter part of her life as a doting grandmother. She relished every opportunity she had to spend time with her grandchildren and was instrumental in the preschool care of her first two.
The birth of her first grandchild, Jordynn, occurred less than a month after the 9-11 terrorist attacks and Maryann was determined to be in Mississippi for the delivery. Air travel had barely gotten back up and running and airplane safety was still the national focus. Restrictions and security in air travel became extremely stringent. Last minute changes were closely scrutinized.
These obstacles would not deter Maryann even when Amy went into labor 4 days early. She made it to Mississippi within 2 hours of Jordynn’s birth.
In 2005, Maryann and Paul headed West to Beaumont, Calif., to be closer to their sons—both of whom would soon marry and add two more grandchildren each. That kept grandma happy even as a dementia diagnosis in 2012 slowly robbed her of the ability to enjoy them as much as she would have liked. The grandkids showing up always made her smile.
She enjoyed word puzzles, dabbled in knitting and loved to swim. Baking, however, became her signature hobby. Every occasion, from holidays to visits from friends and family, included homemade cookies, cake and cheesecake among her voluminous catalog of treats.
Maryann was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas and Avis as well as two of her brothers—Skip and T.P. She is survived by her husband, Paul, three children Amy, Peter (Missy) and Robert (Julie) as well as grandchildren Jordynn, Caitlin, Graycen, Lauren, Logan, Cecily and Kate. She also leaves behind siblings Greg, Linda, Dennis, Avis, Cindy, Mike, Pam and Terry. The family is asking those who wish to make a charitable contribution in Maryann’s name to the Ronald McDonald House of Chicago.