Lochgilphead mourns loss of ‘Wonder Woman’ Yvie
She will be sorely missed by so many people in Lochgilphead and beyond. Her partner of 20 years Frank Downie said: “Yvie was just bonkers. We had the same sense of humour, although I don’t show it the same, I’m not as extrovert as her.
“The relationship she had with my two daughters Marie and Erin, and latterly grand-daughter, she was really kind and generous to them. She loved them more than she loved me.
“Wee Lottie loved her. She was known as YaYa to Lottie and Yvie’s mother was big YaYa.
“Yvie was heartbroken when her mum died in November.”
He added: “Her resolve to what she was going through was unbelievable. She was full of fun.
“There were plenty of nights I was away home before she was.”
Remembering when she trekked more than 100km across Scotland with CoppaFeel, he said: “She was proud of that. She went for a week with the actress Gemma Atkinson.
“Yvie did no training for that. She bought a pair of walking boots, tried them on that night and next time she wore them was to do the walk.
“I remember her standing in the living room. She said, ‘These fit me quite well.’
“The next time she wore them was to do the trek. She turned up and completed it.
“She did the three Munros, Schiehallion and two of the Ben Lawers hills without doing one bit of training.
“The determination to do that was unbelievable. The blisters she had. She was suffering quite bad with cancer at the time. She raised at least £4,000.”
Angela MacVicar knew Yvie her whole life. She said: “Yvie was always so full of life, even on the darkest days Yvie always gave you a laugh.
“She brought the fun everything, she is sorely missed.
“Yvie had that caring and beautiful attitude, but was funny. She would say something that you were thinking, but didn’t dare say. She would just come out and say it. You knew she was being warm.
“Last summer she was a model in our fashion show.
“When people were upset, Yvie was there to comfort them, but give them a laugh. She did it with love.
“She had this incredible way of being funny and compassionate at the same time. I will miss her forever.
“She will always be a part of Rainbow Valley. She gave cancer a run for its money. There was only one Yvie; she broke the mould.”
Yvie had a group of close friends, into who she called The Golden Girls. Living life to the fullest, she had hoped to spend this weekend with Shona Young, Muriel MacKenzie, Margaret MacLean and Isobel MacVicar at a hot tub lodge on Loch Lomond.
Shona said: “She is going to be missed dearly, especially by her close friends. We did our best to support Yvie. And her mum. We were very conscious of making plans and making memories for her.
“She campaigned and reached out to a lot of young people.
“She was very passionate about telling people not to be shy about going to the doctors, to get any slight changes checked out.
“She would go on Facebook and tell people, ‘Check your chebs’.
“There was one girl who listened to Yvie and checked hers. Now she is going through treatment for breast cancer. And she is grateful to Yvie that they caught it when they did. She thanked Yvie for that.
“She did a lot of charity fundraising. Her last big night out was the Rainbow Valley ball.
“She looked absolutely amazing, and she had a fantastic time. She managed to enjoy herself in amongst all her friends. There were 10 of us at the table.”
Yvie’s life will be celebrated at her funeral in Lochgilphead Parish Church at noon today (January 26). No black ties please, and everyone is asked to wear a bit of pink, her favourite colour.
The cortege will travel down Argyll Street, along Lochnell Street and return along Poltalloch Street and the Corran, en route to Achnabreac Cemetery. Donations can be made to the Beatson Cancer Charity. Thereafter friends and family will gather at The Stag Hotel.