Yolanda Ballou

Yolanda Roberto Ballou , 92 of Wakefield died July 6 in Wakefield.

She was born in Wakefield on October29, 1921 and was the beloved daughter of the late Carmine A. and Maria R. (Naccarella) Roberto .

Having entered college at the age of 31, Yolanda highly valued education. She obtained her Bachelor's Degree from U MASS Amherst and her Masters in Library Science from Simmons College by the end of 35. She went on to have a fulfilling career as a librarian; first at the Beebe Library in Wakefield then onto numerous high schools in New England. She was also a librarian for many years at Endicott College and Philip Andover Academy.

Being the aunt of many she put her library skills to great use in helping her nieces and nephews find just the right reference materials for any projects that were assigned to them.

In her later years, Yolanda found great joy and satisfaction in giving back to her home town of Wakefield by serving on the Board of Trustees of the Beebe Library for many years and as a member of the Board of Directors and Secretary of the Citizen's Scholarship Foundation of Wakefield.

Throughout her life Yolanda was an avid gardener, always making sure her condo complex had beautiful plantings on its grounds. She also had a passion for crocheting, having made a least 100 afghans while listening to her collections of classical music, another one of her favorite pastimes.

In her final years she received much joy from her visits of her great nieces and nephews and all their little children.

Yolanda passed away peacefully at home surrounded by many family members. She will be greatly missed by all other family and friends.

Yolanda was the loving sister of Armando Robert of Stoneham, Florence McKenna of Wakefield and Alfred Roberto of Wakefield and the late Angelo and Nicholas Roberto , Mary Millikin and Rose Mahoney. She is also survived by many loving nieces, nephews as well as many great and great great nieces and nephews.

Her funeral will be held from the McDonald Funeral Home, 19 Yale Ave. Wakefield on Friday at 9am followed by a Funeral Mass in St. Joseph Church, 173 Albion St., Wakefield at 10am. Visitation for relatives and friends will be held at the Funeral Home on Thursday from 4-8pm. Interment will be at Forest Glade Cemetery in Wakefield.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Yolanda name to the Yolanda Roberto Ballou Fund c/o The Scholarship Foundation of Wakefield, P.O. Box 321 Wakefield, MA 01880.

July 10, 2014
4:00 PM to 8:00 PM

McDonald Funeral Home
19 Yale Ave
Wakefield, MA 01880
(781) 245-3550

July 11, 2014
10:00 AM

St. Joseph Church
173 Albion St.
Wakefield, MA 01880

Friday July 11 2014

Forest Glade Cemetery
480 Lowell St.
Wakefield, MA 01880