Yolanda Torres

Since the time our mother was born, she has always been the funniest,
happiest, and most loving person in the world, first to her parents and siblings, then to
her daughters and grandkids. I want to tell you about our mother.
She was born on the beautiful Island of Puerto Rico, on November 25, 1963. She is the
last child of her parents Avelino and Felicita DelValle. She had (2)brothers who are now
deceased Alberto Opio and Allan R. DelValle.
She also had (3) sisters who are still living, Crucita Opio, Nidia Morales, and Daisy
DelValle. She lived in Puerto Rico until the age of 2.
In 1965 due to her mother's illness, her parents decided to move the family to New York
City. Where she lived until the age of 11. As soon as the family started to adjust to living
in New York City, the violence in her
neighborhood started to grow. Her sisters were her best friends. They were not allowed
to go anywhere but to school and back home.
On weekends she and the rest of the family would take the train to visit
aunts, uncles, cousins, and of course her grandmother (Bartola DelValle)
To my mom, these were her good old days.
In 1974 the violence was so bad that her parents again decided to uproot the family and
move them to Massachusetts (Maynard to be exact). There she attended Maynard High
School while also working.
Three months after her 17th birthday, she lost her mother, the woman who had loved her, taken care
of her, and taught her how to be a woman, was gone. Also at 17, she started to work at
Data Checking DTS, a new company that had come to Maynard. She enjoyed working
there because she now had lots of new friends. One thing I can confirm is that my mom
loved meeting new people and having lots of friends. By the time she was 19, she had
her firstborn Jenele Melendez and a year ½ later the Lord blessed her with another
daughter Irene (AKA- Bibi) Melendez.
My mom loved being with family. We would have Sunday dinners at grandpas house
with all the aunts and uncles. All our cousins would be there as well. We would laugh,
and play while our parents did what they do best talk. My mom was that person! She
could relate to anyone, no matter the person's age, gender, or affiliation. She was my
best friend, but she was also everyone's favorite aunt.
In 1992 she met her soul mate Manuel Torres. The relationship started uniquely and
went fast and hard. They were married in September of 2003. They are still married and
standing strong 32 years later. Of course, there were bumps and obstacles to get
through, but they did it.
The year of 2001 her sister Nidia (her 2nd Mom) decided that she was going to make
the move to Florida. Upon sharing this news with my mom, my mom realized that Titi
wouldn't be just a 30-minute drive away, she did what most would. She found herself a
place in Tampa, just 13 minutes away from Titi, and said goodbye to Massachusetts.
In December 2002 she welcomed her first grandchild Yamairiah Melendez, which paved
the way for four additional grandkids Lillyanna, Jocyiah, Izaiah, and Iyanna. My mom
was the absolute best grandmother of all time. There was never a time that she was not
there for her Gee-Babies. My mom was the happiest when she was with her family. She
taught the girls how to drive, and watched them finish school. G-Ma was there for the
first of many things, school days, dances, haircuts, ear piercings, hospital stays, dr.
appointments, even tattoos, and heartbreaks. These are just to name a few. There has
never been a time that my mom was not around in one way or another.
Not only did our family take a big hit! The world lost a real one! Yoly was an amazing
daughter, sister, wife, mom, and grandmother, but above all a child of God. She was
known for all her quirky ways, her nails, her earrings, and her amazing taste in clothes
and hair. She was always the flyest at every function she attended. She had the most
amazing contagious sense of humor. We would talk about everything. She was the glue
that kept our family together. She will be missed. She will be forever loved. ALWAYS
ON OUR MINDS, FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS. This Queen has now removed her
crown and gone home.