San Diego lost a beloved “Woman of Dedication” on November 17, when Yvonne Silva Berberet (Lindroth) took her final curtain call surrounded by her loving family at Sharp Coronado hospital. Descended from several generations of paternal California ancestors who immigrated from Portugal and Mexico, and maternal ancestors who migrated to San Diego from Oklahoma in the 1920’s, Yvonne was a lifelong resident of San Diego. Yvonne attended San Diego High School, married Jim Halbert as a teenager and gave birth to three lovely children—Tim, Susie, and Jackie—by age 21. She was a lifelong learner who attended Grossmont Community College later in life and studied French and Italian prior to trips to Europe. Over the next 60 years Yvonne lived life to the fullest as a mother with a full-time work career, as a drama addict with fifty years filling diverse roles in local theatre, and as socialite, fundraiser, and officer with numerous civic and philanthropic organizations. A lifelong Democrat with attitude, Yvonne believed all should share in American society’s bounty with equality and dignity. Yvonne began her work career as a legal secretary for San Diego attorney Ron Day. Several nights a week she worked as a cocktail waitress to earn the down payment for her first home in the Princess Gardens neighborhood. After the birth of her fourth child, Holly, Yvonne acted in her first play, There’s a girl in my soup, and was smitten. During her marriage to Clifford Lindroth, Yvonne was able to focus her efforts full-time on fundraising and theatre, becoming a prominent actor at such venues as the Coronado and Lambs playhouses. Her favorite role was the Marlene Dietrich character in Witness for the Prosecution. Nominated many times for an Aubry, the local theatre version of the Oscars, she finally received her “Oscar” in 2015 for a comedy role. Of her Aubry, Yvonne observed that she was San Diego’s version of Susan Lucci. Over the years her passion for the theatre was also expressed as Board member, producer, stage manager, and mentor to new actors and stage hands. Simultaneously with her involvement in theatre, Yvonne joined the Globe Guilders, eventually serving as president; became active with the San Diego Zoo where she chaired the annual Zoo Gala fundraiser; and was a cofounder in the mid-1990’s of the G.O.L.D Diggers (Gifts of Loving Donors), a philanthropic women’s organization that sponsors the annual Hats Off fundraiser to benefit numerous local nonprofits. In the midst of this flurry of leadership and civic engagement, the Angels Among Us named Yvonne one of San Diego’s “Woman of Distinction.” As if the above involvement was not enough, Yvonne used her skills as an actor to help train medical students at UC San Diego. In her role as “standard patient” Yvonne portrayed a variety of symptoms for students to diagnose. Professors graded student diagnostic skills; Yvonne evaluated their “bedside manner.” She also became involved with the “Angels of Aseltine,” a fundraising arm of Aseltine School, an independent K-12 school in University Heights that serves students with severe learning and emotional disorders. At the time of her passing, Yvonne was an Aseltine Board member.
On her 80th birthday, September 21, 2018, Yvonne wed Jerry Berberet, thus becoming Yvonne Silva Berberet. During their short time together, Yvonne and Jerry managed to travel to Africa, France, Italy, and Mexico, helping to fulfill her lifelong dream of “seeing the world.” In addition to her children, Yvonne is survived by nine grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Donations in memory of Yvonne may be made to Aseltine School, 4027 Normal St., San Diego, CA 92103. A celebration of Yvonne’s life memorial will be held at the Handlery Hotel (950 Hotel Circle North, San Diego) Sunday, December 15, 2019 at Noon in the Crystal Ballroom, followed by a brunch at 2:00 pm. Her family invites her many friends to attend and to share their stories of Yvonne. Yvonne’s Celebration of Life will be live streamed on YouTube at “Yvonne Silva Berberet Celebration of Life.” Condolences messages are invited at MiramarMemorialServices.com where her obituary is posted.
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