Yvonne Julienne Isola

In Loving Memory

Yvonne Julienne Isola was many things across her 85 years — a mom, grandmother, great-grandmother, nurse, warrior, bridge strategist, lover of laughter, faith-filled, and a true companion through life’s tenderness and turbulence. She passed away peacefully on November 20, 2025, in Lexington, South Carolina.

Born on September 29, 1940, in Detroit, Michigan, Yvonne was the youngest child of Omer and Marie (née Gagnier) Denomme, French-Canadian immigrants who instilled in her resilience, resourcefulness, and a stubborn streak of humor. In 1959, at age 19, she “went rogue,” as she liked to say, leaving college to marry Andrew C. (“Andy”) Isola, a striking New York Italian and newly minted Marine Corps Lieutenant. Together, they embarked on a globe-trotting 41-year marriage — marked by pilot training in Florida, assignments that spanned the country and beyond, elegant dinner parties, seasons of deep financial struggle, laughter-filled family chaos, extraordinary grief, and a devotion that endured until Andy’s passing on November 15, 2000.

They raised five children and survived the unthinkable together — the loss of their nine-year-old son, Paul Stephen Isola, who preceded her in death on January 28, 1977. Through that heartbreak, Yvonne became both softer and stronger — a fierce advocate for her family, and a woman who learned how to navigate both glitter and grief with grace, grit, and good humor.

At age 40, Yvonne did something remarkable: she returned to college and earned a nursing degree, reclaiming a dream she had set aside decades earlier. She worked in several medical specialties — hospital care, dialysis, and finally, the place she felt most called: hospice nursing. There, she found her truest vocation — caring for people at the end of life, and walking with families through love, loss, mystery, and meaning. She continued to do that sacred work even as she cared for Andy throughout his ten-year cancer journey.  

She is survived by four of her five children:

Andrew C. Isola III (Vicki), Eileen Isola, Colleen “Kelly” Isola, Matthew Isola (Nitsa).

She is lovingly remembered by six grandchildren —

Andrew C. Isola IV (Jill), Alan B. Isola (Loribeth), Julie Barber (John), Erin Isola (Kyle), Nicolas Goldman (Carla), and Jaiden Isola  

as well as five great-grandchildren:

Aubrey Isola, Braedyn Isola, twins Ruby and Millie Isola, and John Barber III  

Through her own cancer battle, Yvonne remained sharp, witty, and fiercely competitive at the Bridge table, often teaching newcomers the “strategy and tactics” of what she called “mental warfare in card form.” She loved to laugh, and even under the shadow of illness, she was known to say: “If I can’t laugh, I’m not going.” 

She saw the sacredness in all life. She made people feel seen, cared for, and dignified. Her life was her legacy — not loud, but deeply felt. Not flashy, but fiercely loving. She took on the mantle of Bishop John Shelby Spong: live fully, love wastefully and be who you are called to be.

 A Celebration of Life Service will be held November 29th at 3:00pm at Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Lexington. In lieu of flowers, we invite you to honor her life with a donation to Sistercare, https://www.sistercare.org/support-sistercare/give/.

Yvonne’s life was a quiet testament to love, perseverance, devotion, and the sacred work of caring for others. In every chapter of her life, one truth remained constant—she knew what mattered: love, family, courage, and laughter. And she lived it to the very end.