Rosemarie Yoakum

Rosemarie (Ree) Hillis Yoakum, 1931-2015

Rosemarie (Ree) Hillis Yoakum's soul has taken flight and is winging its way toward its heavenly home, on the feast of St. Joseph, which was her daddy's birthday. We who remain are grateful for the gift of her bright spirit, her sunny personality and generosity, her strong faith and courage in adversity, her lilting voice and infectious laugh. Ree celebrated daily the beauty of God's creation, flowers, plants and birds (especially bluebirds). She and her husband Joe loved attending daily Mass at St. Matthias, then St. Paul the Apostle Westerville, and more recently at the Church of the Resurrection in New Albany, Ohio. She loved singing, entertaining, baking for her family (especially apple dumplings, pies and sweet rolls), sewing, Christmas, chocolate, Cape Cod, fireworks, the color blue, and patriotic songs. Ree loved to read. She would fill up a crate of books at the library every couple of weeks. Ree was also an avid gardener, liking to move things around in her gardens. A friend once said she had "plants on wheels." She had a flair for decorating, and assisted in the interior decoration of several homes her husband built, including three of the homes in which they lived. She was a faithful volunteer at church and in the community, serving as the co-leader for each of her daughter's Girl Scout troops; cutting pies at St. Matthias' Lenten fish fries for 20 years; donating 30 gallons of blood during her lifetime; volunteering in the libraries at St. Matthias and St. Paul's Schools and St. Francis DeSales High School; serving as lector and Eucharistic minister for St. Matthias; singing for funerals at St. Matthias for many years and for Masses at St. Paul's; and participating in a clinical trial after being diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic melanoma in the hopes that it would benefit someone else in the future.

Ree, 83, of Westerville, passed away Thursday, March 19, 2015 at Otterbein Senior Living Options. She was born August 25, 1931 in New Lexington, OH, daughter of the late Raymond and Margaret Weiland Hillis. She graduated from Rosary High School and was a longtime member of St. Matthias Catholic Church.

Ree is survived by Joe Yoakum, her husband of 62 years, and by her only child, Heidi Yoakum. She is also survived by sisters Georgann Hillis Metzger and Martha Hillis Lockwood and sister-in-law Mary Sweeney, and by 20 nieces and nephews including Susan Metzger, Sherrie Metzger Galloway and Steve Metzger; Pam Lockwood Koll, Kendra Lockwood Marshall, Brent Lockwood and Brae Lockwood DePol; Lisa Crise Cornelison and David Crise; Mark, Bob and Matt Henry and Rebecca Henry Moser; Kevin Sweeney, Marty Sweeney Pfeifer, Phil, Sue and Chris Sweeney, Frances Sweeney Miller, and Theresa Sweeney Passwater. She is also survived by many "Hillis" cousins, as well as by many dear friends. In addition to her parents, family members who will make Ree welcome in eternity include her sister Barbara Lee Hillis, mother- and father-in-law Marie Gossling Yoakum and Edward T. Yoakum, and beloved grandparents, aunts, uncles, in-laws and friends.

Visitation is Saturday, March 28, 2015 from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm at Newcomer Funeral Home NE Chapel, 3047 E. Dublin-Granville, Columbus, with a rosary service at 9:30 am. Following cremation, a memorial funeral mass will be held April 18, 2015 at 10:00 AM at St. Matthias Catholic Church, 1582 Ferris Rd. Columbus, OH 43224. All are welcome for both.

One thing Ree asked us to do is to encourage you to "Spot the Dot" -- have your skin checked regularly, because melanoma is serious business.

In lieu of flowers, please donate in her memory to St. Matthias Catholic Church, Columbus, OH.