Douglas James Yonko

1958 - 2020

Douglas James Yonko

Scottsdale - Douglas James Yonko of Scottsdale, Arizona passed away on September 25, 2020, at the age of 62. At the time of his passing he was at his home in the presence of his loving family. Doug was born on June 25, 1958, in Tucson, Arizona to Steve and Betty Yonko and lived his entire life in Arizona. He grew a deep love for his home state that would ultimately lead him to contribute to Arizona significantly throughout his professional career. Doug met Elisabeth James in junior high school, when he was 16 and she was 14 years old, and the two of them transitioned a childhood friendship into a lifelong partnership that began with their marriage in 1981 and continued on for 39 years. After attending Arizona State University, Doug's professional career was almost exclusively spent at Hensley Beverage Company. He began his career in 1982 and worked in multiple capacities, ultimately serving as Senior Vice President of Communications and Governmental Affairs, and as a member of the company's Executive Committee. It was not just Hensley, however, who benefited from Doug's keen instincts and leadership skills. Doug chaired the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority, Beer and Wine Distributors of Arizona, Arizona Workforce and Innovation Council, Arizona Finance Authority and Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association. He also served on numerous additional boards including the Arizona-Mexico Commission, Phoenix Thunderbird Charities, and the National Beer Wholesalers Association. His influence in our community ranged far and wide. He was an advisor to many of our political and community leaders, and acted as a mentor to countless young leaders who would come to him for counsel as they assumed positions of responsibility. Doug was kind, caring, compassionate and thoughtful. He was also a consensus builder, always seeking to find a middle ground when encountering parties that had staked out differing positions, and the vast majority of the time was successful in helping to create solutions acceptable to everyone. His influence in our community was immense, but he maintained a low profile because of his incredible sense of humility. His passing is a great loss to the state of Arizona, but most importantly an even greater loss to his beautiful family. He is survived by his wife Elisabeth, his daughters LisaAnn and Maradith, his three grandchildren Lily, Henry, and Asher, his mother Betty Yonko, and his brothers David Yonko and Greg Yonko. Services will be held privately by the family. Those wishing to honor Doug in some way can do so by contributing to either of the following organizations that were so important to him: Phoenix Children's Hospital & Local First Arizona.