When Yolanda Gallardo Hernandez walked into the room, those in her company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Yolanda was and how she impacted those around her. Yolanda was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Yolanda wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Yolanda was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve her well throughout her life.
Yolanda was born on February 13, 1949 at Queen of Angels Hospital in Los Angeles, California. She was the daughter of Angie and Ray Gallardo. Yolanda was raised in City Terrace, Los Angeles, California. Always at the ready with a good joke, she grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Yolanda might describe her as an idealist, her friends and family understood well that Yolanda was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to her.
Yolanda was raised with three siblings. She had two older brothers, Ramon and Fernando and one younger brother, Randy. Yolanda was very accepting and supportive of her family. She was perceived as the central person in her family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Yolanda was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Yolanda well in her adult life and, along with her wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew her.
As a young girl, Yolanda was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew her into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Yolanda was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with her peers. She was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Yolanda took part in basketball, volleyball and track. In her spare time she liked sewing and cooking with her grandma Julia. Yolanda had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity she and the many childhood friends she shared might discover.
During her high school years, Yolanda responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. She graduated from Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1965. Yolanda was a very good student, and generally did well in her courses. Yolanda absorbed as much as she could from all of her teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using her imagination to master her assignments. For Yolanda, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to her ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Yolanda a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to her to discuss just about anything. Yolanda lettered in basketball and was a Candy Striper (assistant nurse) at County Hospital USC.
Yolanda did well in college, as a result of her comfort level with tackling new theories and her love of learning. She earned her Bachelors of Science in Nursing at USC. Her favorite courses were Nursing. Yolanda was very adaptable, a quality that helped her make the transition from high school to college with little difficulty. As a result, Yolanda's problem solving skills and thirst for new knowledge almost guaranteed that she enjoyed virtually every class she took. Yolanda was always in quest of new things to learn and experience
With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought her an endless stream of friends, Yolanda was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Yolanda was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. She always seemed aware of what was going on with people around her and throughout her life she made many, many friends. While growing up, some of her best friends were Nora and Corky. Later in life, she became friends with Gloria, Kenny, Mari, Adolfo and Rachel.
On December 24, 1975 Yolanda married Nick Hernandez at home in East Los Angeles, California. Yolanda's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in her ability to make her new family happy. She was quite sensitive towards Nick's needs, showing her constant concern and fondness. Yolanda was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served her well in helping to nurture her family.
Yolanda was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide her family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Yolanda, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of her life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Hernandez home. Yolanda's skill at understanding her children's feelings, her sensitivity to their needs, and her gift for gentle persuasion enabled her to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Yolanda was blessed with 2 children: one daughter Vanessa and on son Nicky. They were also blessed with five grandchildren, Danny, Hannah, Lizzy, Isabelie and Raquelie.
Yolanda was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made her an exceptional worker. Her primary occupation was Dance Director and Camp Director. She was employed for 4 years as a RN, 15 years as a Folklorico Dance Director, Camp Director 10 years. Yolanda was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize her. Yolanda had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of her gift for insight. Yolanda's fellow workers saw her as a supporter and a mentor.
Because Yolanda loved to have a broad variety of activities in her life, she took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were costume design, needle point, reading, dancing, gardening, hiking, crafts, art projects and trichem painting. Yolanda had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of her favorite pastimes. However, Yolanda's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.
Yolanda derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. Her charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. In high school, Yolanda played basketball, volleyball and track and field. Recreational sports included softball, Folklorico Dance at UCLA. Yolanda was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite events whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were figure skating and track and field.
Throughout her life, Yolanda was actively involved in professional and community organizations. She was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, Yolanda seemed to be the person smack dab in the middle of things, working to get things done. Those who had the opportunity to work with Yolanda usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with her, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. In high school, Yolanda was a member of the yearbook staff and glee club. Throughout her later years, Yolanda was an active member of the UCLA Folklorico, Director Arcorois Folklorico and Boy Scout/Cub Scout Master.
Because Yolanda was constantly in the center of things and where the action was, she always seemed willing to join in and help, regularly getting involved in community activities. Yolanda's gift of planning and improvisation, along with a talent for rallying support, made her a great asset. Yolanda found new ways of getting things done in order to help make just about every activity more efficient and enjoyable. Yolanda was an active member of several community groups, serving on committees for the taught Native American Cultural Studies, parent board at St Louise de Marillac Elementary School and Boy Scouts.
Yolanda was a woman who was dedicated and devoted to her faith. She was a member of the Catholic Church. She was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and she used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for her beliefs.
Though she never did anything solely for individual recognition, Yolanda's ingenuity, resourcefulness, and selflessness, earned her accolades for her many lifelong efforts. Some of her most prestigious awards included Silver Beaver Award and Baden Powell.
Yolanda's love of improvising in her daily life was a perfect fit for her enjoyment of traveling. Her favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit her personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Yolanda took her vacations seriously, well, as seriously as she possibly could. Favorite vacations included Mc Graph State Beach, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Hawaii, Miami, Ireland and England.
Yolanda was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. Her family was rounded out by her Chihuahua, Chuchi, her cats Tonto and Simon, her rabbit, Spunky and her dog Bucky.
Yolanda Hernandez passed away on January 31, 2011 at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, California. She is survived by her husband Nick, her children Vanessa and Nicky and her grandchildren Danny, Hannah, Lizzie, Bella and Raquel. Services were held at St. Louise de Marillac Catholic Church in Covina, California.
There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Yolanda. She was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. She had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While she was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Yolanda Hernandez for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Yolanda was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with her loved ones.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18