Yolanda L. Brown

Yolanda Martinez was born on January 11, 1960, to Victor and Maria Martinez Lopez in Carrizo Springs, Texas.She loved to sing and dance…glitter and sparkle! She was the life of the party on every occasion. You could catch her busting her moves at our family dinners or showing those kids how it was done on the dance floor! She could turn any boring event into the party of a lifetime.She loved to cook, especially holiday dinners. She loved food and loved feeding people, even complete strangers. You would see her on any given day with her bag full of snacks with an extra sandwich or burrito to hand out to whoever was in need, or just needing a snack made with love. She loved teaching her children, her nieces and her grandkids her not so secret recipes. Desserts were a must!She was vibrant and full of life. No matter what negative she faced in life she always saw the silver lining. She was always encouraging and helpful. She made friends everywhere she went. Whether in line at the grocery store, calling a customer service line, or even passersby. She flashed her warm smile and chatted about anything and everything, but mostly her beloved Chihuahuas, Killer and Princess!Everyone’s favorite! She loved her family and spending time with her children and grandchildren. She enjoyed fishing with Armando and her grandkids. They often spent their evenings cruising around and listening to music. They enjoyed taking their fur babies for fun at the park and just spending time outside.She looked forward to days spent with her sisters at the thrift shops, garage sales and of course a Chinese Buffet! Her sisters were her best friends and she truly treated those days like valuable gifts.She was very funny and quirky but most of all she was kind. Her kindness was inspirational! She loved unconditionally and whole-heartedly. She was giving and she did not care if it was her last. If you needed it and she had it, it was yours. Yolanda always showed compassion to others helping in any way she could.Survivors include her children, Augustine Cruz and fiancé, Maria of Lubbock, Texas; Amanda Cruz and husband, Brodie Riemath; and Bradley Brown; grandchildren, Sierra, Savannah, and Augustine Cruz, III; Jazlyn Brown; Kalvin and Kaden Riemath; long time love, Armando Deanda; siblings, Juan Lopez and wife, Monica; Guadalupe Medrano and husband, Jimmy Cuellar, Rosa Keho and husband, Tim; Sylvia Garza and husband, Tommy; Oscar Lopez; Marisela Valdez and husband, Paul; Dora Lopez; Rene Lopez and Samira; Diana Rodriguez and husband, Zebulon.She was preceded in death by her parents, Victor and Maria Lopez.