Yvonne O. Morrison

Yvonne O. Morrison

Lake Zurich, Ill.

Yvonne Morrison, 83, passed away after a long battle with Alzheimer’s on Sept. 7, 2023.

Yvonne was preceded in death by her loving husband of 46 years, Larry; her parents, Guy and Ruth (nee Maser) Brooks; and her brother, Gary Brooks.

She will be deeply missed by her sons, Eric, Scott and Kevin (Tiffany) Morrison; her beloved grandchildren, Nikolas, Jason and Courtney Morrison; her brother, Gerald Brooks; her sister-in-law, Beverly Brooks; as well as many nieces and nephews.

Yvonne was born in Arlington, Iowa, and grew up on various farms in Northeast Iowa. She was forever proud of her Iowa roots and her humble upbringing. She met her loving husband, Larry while attending Upper Iowa University in Fayette. Yvonne was the first in her family to graduate from college. After graduating, Yvonne settled in the Chicagoland area with Larry. Though she lived over 60 years in Illinois, Iowa was and will forever be her home.

Throughout her life, Yvonne was dedicated to teaching children. Her first teaching jobs were in Skokie, Ill., at Jane Stenson and Four Corners Schools. In later years, she taught young children at Plainfield Elementary and Orchard Place Schools in Des Plaines. She received many recognitions for her devotion to education including a nomination for the Golden Apple Award and recipient of a Cook County Volunteer Award for Education. She preferred to teach underprivileged children and children with challenging life experiences. School principals knew to put these types of students in her class knowing that no one could find a way into their hearts and minds like Yvonne. She mentored countless teachers and provided them her vast library of books and learning materials. She was as much a maternal influence to her students as she was educator.

Yvonne was well known for her beautiful flower gardens and colorful seasonal decorations at her home and at the schools where she taught. She was proud to have built the environmental courtyard at Plainfield School. The employees at Pesche’s Flowers knew her by name. The community frequently visited her home to admire the flowers and decor. She had a sense of style that matched her outgoing personality. No one ever wore white pants better. Her students looked forward to seeing her costume and seasonal-themed dangling earrings. She was a proud member of Church of Christ in Arlington, Iowa, and The Bridge Community Church in Des Plaines, Ill., and was generous with her time and talents. She taught Sunday School for many years and was an active member of several ministries and church groups.

Yvonne’s lasting memory will be forever cherished by the many lives she touched. Her kind, compassionate and generous spirit will live on in the hearts of those who were privileged to know her.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 11, at Davenport Family Funeral Home and Crematory, 941 South Old Rand Rd., Lake Zurich, Ill. A second visitation will be held Tuesday, Sept. 12, from 1030 a.m. until the time of a prayer service at 1130 a.m. at The Bridge Community Church, 946 E Thacker St., Des Plaines.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial donation in Yvonne’s name to Alzheimer’s Association, you can donate online at act.alz.org/site/Donation or via mail at 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 60601.

For more information, please visit www.davenportfamily.com.