Yolanda M. Gardner

WILLIMANTIC

Yolanda Gardner November 4, 1940 December 1, 2025

With deep love and sorrow, we share thatYolanda M. Gardner, affectionately known as Duke, passed away peacefully at her home in Green Hill Beach at the age of 85.

Duke was the beloved wife of 66 years toBruce William Gardner, a partnership filled with devotion, laughter, and a lifetime of adventure. Together, they built a warm and welcoming home where family and friends always felt embraced.

Yolanda was full of life. She was an avid golf and tennis player who brought energy and enthusiasm to everything she pursued. She had a gift for bringing people together and was happiest when entertaining family and friends. Duke was an exceptional cook and filled her home with unforgettable meals, laughter, and warmth.

She was blessed with a remarkable talent for decorating and had a creative eye for beauty, which inspired her to own and operate two decorating businesses: a fabric shop called The Thimble in Willimantic, Connecticut, and a decorating shop called Interiors Unlimited in Wakefield, Rhode Island.

She was predeceased by her parents, Joseph and Mary (Guay) Visintini. She leaves behind her devoted husband, Bruce William Gardner; her children,Jeffrey Gardner andLesley Gardner Vickers and husband, Michael Vickers; and her grandchildren, Gardner, Madison, William, and Sean.

In keeping with the family's wishes, services and burial will be private.

For guest book and condolences, visit averystortifuneralhome.com

Yolanda M. Gardner