Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Sister, and Friend, Cathy Ann Yates, entered fully in the presence of the Lord, Our Savior Jesus Christ, on October 6th, 2024. Cathy was known for her tremendously kind heart, her smile followed by her jovial filled laugh. She was the heart and soul of her family. Cathy was born on May 29th, 1956, in Plymouth, North Carolina. She grew up in the Deep Creek area of Chesapeake, Virginia until settling in Newport News, Virginia.
Cathy Yates drove school buses for the city of Newport News for 35 years where she interacted daily and touched the lives of so many children. She received multiple safety awards for her safe driving, held the position of a key driver, and was given a certificate and recognition by the city of Newport News for her years of service. Cathy did everything with love and compassion.
Cathy Yates attended York Assembly of God, where she taught Sunday school, was a Royal Rangers teacher, and aided in the nursery. Cathy loved crafts, sewing, shopping, and of course her two dogs Ollie and Coco.
Cathy was greeted in heaven by her parents Raymond Everett Smithwick and Hazel Beatrice Smithwick, alongside her sister Susie Lane Isham.
Left to cherish her memory are her husband of 31 years, Dennis Yates, her two sons Wayne Gardner and Brian Gardner, Brian Garder’s wife Leanna Gardner, her grandchildren, Rylan, Jay, Kaitlyn, Kailey, Alexis and Tyler Gardner, her sisters Edna, Bonnie, Ava and Teresa, and sister-in-law Sonie Statzer.
Cathy’s final moments were spent peacefully in her home with her loving husband and two sons. Her devotion to her family and her firm belief in God supported her in her struggle and ultimately gave her peace. A memorial service will be held to celebrate the life of Cathy Ann Yates, a woman with the most generous spirit and loving and kind concern to everyone she knew and came across. The service will be held at York Assembly of God on October 17th, 2024, at 11:00am. All family and friends who had the privilege of knowing Cathy Ann Yates are welcomed and appreciated.