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Obituary for Yvonne M. King
Dr. Yvonne Marcella King was born on August 25, 1937, in Philadelphia, PA. Contrasting to the way she lived her life, Yvonne left this world in a whisper on January 12, 2021 after a prolonged struggle with dementia taking her final journey from Simpson House in Philadelphia where she lived since 2017. She received degrees from West Chester University in PA, Sacramento University in CA and her doctorate in Education from the University Georgia in Athens, GA. Dr. King was a member of her beloved Delta Sigma Theta Sorority which she pledged at Temple University.
Dr. King’s early career was spent in MA, CA, and GA teaching children to read. Dr. King’s academic teaching career began at Elizabeth City State University in NC, followed by a leap in 1986 when she joined the faculty at Millersville University in Pennsylvania where she was Associate Professor of Elementary and Early Childhood Education for 24 years, until her retirement in 2010. Dr. King was an expert in reading and literacy, and was beloved by thousands of undergraduate teachers on whom she had an immeasurable impact having taught, advised, mentored, and supervised them to careers in education. Upon her retirement from Millersville University, Dr. King was awarded the honorary title Associate Professor of Reading “Emeritus,” a well-deserved, and distinguished title indeed. Descriptions from several colleagues of Dr. King were “she personified the ideal teacher” and “she was the most kindhearted person I’ve ever worked with.”
To friends and family, she was Yvonne, Aunt Yvonne, or Vonnie, and was beloved by so many. And, to each and every one of her close friends she was the dearest sort of friend that everyone should have. Yvonne was preceded in death by her Philadelphia family Bella and Wallace Frye, Naomi Frye, Grace Alleyne, and Mary Hunt. She is survived by her New York family Shirlene Clark-Smith, Dion Clarke, and Eldon and Arlette Wood and by her devoted Goddaughters Cheryl Groce-Wright, (husband Richard, and sons Nigel and Carson), Christian Bell, (daughter Milan and son Ira), and Tiffany Turner Greene.
To know her was to know your “biggest fan.” And her enthusiasm, well, Yvonne “could dial it up from zero to 100 in a matter of seconds!” That was our Yvonne, she is unforgettable, brilliant, and capable of a fierce kind of love that let you know you were a treasure to her. The fun we all experienced in her presence is hard to capture in words, and she was the Queen of Fun!!!
There will be a graveside remembrance for family, the time and date to be announced. Thanks are given with deep appreciation to the Wood Funeral Home, Inc. for their loving attention to our dear loved one.
Yvonne was an animal lover, particularly her beloved cats, and a gift in Yvonne’s honor to the Pennsylvania SPCA will make our beloved sister beyond happy.
