Yvonne J Makell

Good afternoon Family, The funeral services for Yvonne Makell will be held on Friday, September 10, 2021, at Union Temple Baptist Church. Those who wish to attend in person should fill out the attached form and bring it with you to expedite your entry. This will help to save time and congestion if you have your form pre-filled. For those unable to attend in person or more comfortable viewing from home due to the COVID pandemic, we will also be offering the opportunity to view online using the links below for the church website, Facebook, and YouTube platforms. Special Memories to Share? For those wishing to leave William, Brian, & Stephen’s family a video memory of their mother or message for them, please use the link below: https://app.memento.com/memories-of-yvonne-makell/8GHiklSCw/record Funeral Service Information Location: Union Temple Baptist Church 1225 W. Street, SE Washington, DC 20020 Time: Viewing – 10:00 AM Service – 11:00 AM Floral arrangements may be sent to: Marshall-March Funeral Homes at 4308 Suitland Rd Suitland, MD 20746 The services will also be live streamed on the Union Temple Baptist Church website and various social media platforms: Website: https://www.uniontempledc.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/UnionTempleDC/featured Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/watch/uniontempledc/ Warmest Regards, William William J. Makell Jr. WJM Success Solutions, Inc. (301) 399-1962 Remembering Yvonne -- In God’s infinite wisdom, Yvonne Jeannette Makell drew her last earthly breath on the afternoon of Sunday, August 29, 2021. Yvonne was born on October 30, 1936, in Washington, DC to the late Margaret Elizabeth (Brown) and Jerome Carter Smith. Yvonne grew up on Linden Street, in Northeast Washington, DC and matriculated through the DC public school system attending both Spingarn and Cardoza High Schools. She was always very mature for her age and was given many responsibilities at a very young age to look after many of her younger cousins and chores around her home. At the age of 18, she would meet the love of her life, William Makell, affectionately known as “Sonny” to friends and family alike. They would marry on October 22, 1955, and from this union came three boys she cherished dearly and 44 years of marriage until Sonny took ill and went home on October 7, 1999. Yvonne, after graduating high school spent a semester at Hampton Institute before returning home and working in the federal government as a secretary. But she was no ordinary secretary as she was a quick study and quickly gained the respect of colleagues and supervisors. Before long, while working for US AID, she became the go to person and was trusted to do more than her job title demanded. Once her first child was born in 1967, she would leave the government to raise her family. While raising her three boys, she contributed to the well-being of her family in several ways; managed the family’s finances, sold Avon products and ceramics she made in her free time, actively fought to have asbestos removed from the school system her children would attend, and challenged the education system to provide appropriate education as the president of the PTA at Surrattsville Elementary School. Lastly, she would also work as a well-respected substitute teacher winning the hearts of the many students she came into contact with before returning to the federal workforce in 1979. Upon returning to the federal space, she would quickly move up the ranks over the course of 15 years from GS-2 clerk secretary and retire a GM-15, as Director, Equal Employment Opportunity & Diversity Management with the Department of Justice and training and working with US attorneys such as Janet Napolitano, Michael Chertoff, Duvall Patrick, Eric Holder, and Bill Barr when they were all budding young attorneys. After retiring from federal service in 1994, Yvonne worked for H&R Block during tax season from 1997 to 2016. She would often help other family members with their taxes and delighted in making some extra spending money to take extended vacations, cruises and trips to Florida with her long-time companion, Leroy Thomas, for nearly two decades. Yvonne leaves to mourn her passing, three sons and their wives: William Jr. (Rhonda), Brian (Kasey), and Stephen; five grandchildren: Branden, William III, Kamiren, Selena, and Kollyn; long-time companion: Leroy Thomas and a host of other very close cousins and friends.

Tributes

Yvonne J Makell

October 30, 1936 - August 29, 2021