Mrs. Yvonne Mercedes Pryor Colston

January 14, 1926 - February 6, 2022

Yvonne Mercedes Pryor Colston (Mom - Oma – Miss Yvonne) Yvonne was born on January 14, 1926, to Mr. Bernard Wilson Pryor and Mrs. Rosetta Bruce Pryor in Washington, DC. She grew up in Georgetown, attended D.C. Public Schools (Benjamin Banneker Junior High and Dunbar High School), and obtained her bachelor’s degree from D.C. Minor Teacher’s College. She taught First Grade at Van Ness Elementary School where she positively influenced many children to be successful including a current Washington, DC judge who still credits her for her inspiration. Yvonne married her high school sweetheart James Leon Colston where together they raised four children: Ladd Gregory, Kim Vonetta, and Guy Leon in the Brookland Washington, DC neighborhood and Petra Yvonne in Frankfurt A/M Germany. Yvonne was always active in local social groups (e.g., The Fashionettes, her Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority) and exercise programs both in D.C and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. For years, Yvonne was employed by the Downtown Y.M.C.A. to initiate and facilitate the very popular S.A.S.S.Y. (Seniors: Active Spirits Staying Young) Program which was featured in a Washington Post Newspaper article. Yvonne also delivered nutritious food to shut-ins for over 30 years with the Meals-on-Wheels Program operating out of Providence Hospital. Yvonne loved to travel with her husband and family across the country and around the world. During her stay in Germany, she visited France, England, Switzerland, Italy, Turkey, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Thailand, and the Netherlands. Traveling later with children and grandchildren, she visited Ghana, West Africa and Belize, Central America. She was an active tennis player, ice skating enthusiast, and loved swimming and walking. She also loved Sudoku and Word Search Books as well as playing her favorite card game – “Kings in the Corner”. To her grandchildren and great grandchildren, Yvonne was known as “Oma” – a popular German name for grandmother that she inherited from her stay in Germany and her sister-in-law (Irmi Pryor) who was born and raised in Germany. She is survived by her four loving children, her daughter-in-law - Wanda, son-in-law - Darrell, her grandchildren – Zyrus, Millicent, Zarnez, Deserie, Zynesia, Kobi B., Cortni, Micah, Kyla, Devyn, Melanie, Kyle, and her great grandchildren – Jenasis, Sol, Kobi C., Cameron, Courtney, and Elijah. Yvonne was well respected by all who knew her. She was a caring, knowledgeable teacher who didn’t want to hear a lot of talking but sincerely appreciated seeing action and completed projects.