YOLANDE RUNELS

1969 - 2018

Franklin RunelsNov. 30, 1969 - June 26, 2018 EDMOND Yolande Marie Franklin Runels, 48, was born Nov. 30, 1969, and died Tuesday, June 26, 2018. She was born in Jamaica to John Franklin (deceased) & Christine Franklin. Yolande is survived by husband, Philip Andre Runels; brother, Aundre Christopher Franklin; a sister, Genya Franklin; her nephews, Maliek and Brandon; many aunts, uncles and cousins. She was predeceased by her brother, Dwight Franklin. She attended St. Andrew Preparatory School and St. Andrew High School for girls in Jamaica and received her undergraduate degree and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Central Oklahoma. Yolande served lovingly beside her husband, a deacon at the Highland Park Baptist Church. She also actively volunteered in Friendship International and the Salvation Army in her community and was continuing her scriptural studies for Bible Studies Fellowship, an international Bible study. Yolande, a true "foodie," loved interacting with and bringing people together. She cared deeply about human rights, justice for all, her faith life and spreading God's love to everyone. Yolande was passionate about food from around the world and brought much joy to people by sharing her exquisite culinary creations. Politics was very much in her blood, and she paid close attention to the news so that she was in touch with what was happening in the world. She was poetic and lyrical with her words and had a deep love for music. In her college days, she was known as "the DJ," and she had an uncanny ear for music from every corner of the world. Yolande was an avid reader, and she took pleasure in everything from gourmet cookbooks and British romance novels to political biographies and the Bible. She believed that one's quality of life should never be compromised, and she creatively achieved that. She enjoyed having friends over for high tea and intimate dinners, complete with movies that had meaningful life lessons. She loved her immediate family, her Jamaican brothers and sisters, her international family, her church family and was always kind to strangers. Yolande was never distracted by the material things of this world and worked diligently every day on her relationship with God, feeling His presence in her life at every moment with keen awareness. She believed in doing the right thing at all times, and she understood this process, in itself, was a journey. Now her journey continues to Eternal Life with the Lord. A Memorial Service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 10, 2018, at Highland Park Baptist Church.