Memorial

Vincent Paul Yanda, age 78, born April 22, 1943 in El Reno, Oklahoma, went to be with his heavenly family November 25, 2021. His last hours he was surrounded by loved ones and peacefully passed in the Integris Hospice House of Oklahoma City.

He was the youngest of four always helping out on his daddy’s farm. Vincent enjoyed, fixing up old cars; teaching at Canadian Valley Vo-Tech; road trips; fishing; polka dancing; and telling stories of all the many experiences in his life.

Vincent served in the Army National Guard from 1963 to 1964. While he was serving, he met the love of his life, Carolyn "Carol" Yanda. They first met 1964 at the Yukon Czech Hall. They married in 1965. Vincent and Carol were married for 56 years and have four daughters, 8 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.

Vincent was a devout Catholic and attended St. John Nepomuk Catholic Church of Yukon, OK all his life. He attended grade school there and graduated from Yukon High School in 1961. He was devoted in faith and sang in the church choir for over 40 years.

As a mechanical engineer he worked for 36 years, starting with GE in 1973. From there he went to work for Control Data and it ended as Seagate. Being on the cusp of computer disc drive development, he trained others overseas, and returned with an abundance of stories. After Seagate, he started the next chapter in his life in 2010. He took a masonry class at Canadian Valley Vo-Tech and built their home mailbox. Shortly thereafter, he then was hired to be an assistant instructor at Canadian Valley Vo-Tech. He thoroughly enjoyed the people he worked with and connected with the teens that came through the school helping them find a skill to grow. He retired in 2019 but still substituted when they called on him.

Vincent was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Ethel Yanda; sister and brother-in-law, Frances Louise (Yanda) Semrad and Robert Semrad; brother-in-law, David Brockman, and grandson, Chandler Myers.­­

He is survived by his wife Carolyn "Carol" Yanda; daughters and their spouses: Tina and Shawn Singleton, Cindy and Jeff Bolf, Kelly and David Myers, Holly and Trent Andersen; grandchildren: Brett Koelsch and wife Kelsea, Elaine Spears and husband Andy; Kenadi Bolf, Landon Bolf, Cody Myers, and Carson Myers, Ezra Andersen, Jae Andersen; great grandchildren: Emma Driscoll, Bentley Koelsch, Jonas Koelsch, Cassidy Spears, and Haelynn Spears; sister, Ethel (Yanda) Brockman, and brother and sister-in-law, Frank and Margo Yanda.