William E. Yost
1934 - 2021

On March 11, 2021, my father, William E. Yost, lost his battle with cancer. There was hope amongst his family that he would conquer this disease and the debilitating side effects of the treatment he would have to endure, but it was not to be. There were times when he had to face these challenges on his own due to the current state of the world in which we currently live. He didn't complain, but instead accepted what had to be done to rid his body of the cancer. It was hard to watch him deteriorate as the effects of the chemotherapy took its toll. His final body and spirit did not resemble the man that my siblings and I knew as our father. Now it is not my desire for you to know the man my father was when left this earth. Instead, I want to tell you who he was and how he lived his life and let that memory stay in your mind forever.

Dad was born on May 9th, 1934 in Fresno California. He was the 2nd of 4 children raised by Henry and Mollie Yost. He told me stories of growing up in the Germantown section of Fresno. The excitement of riding a homemade scooter down a hill near the intersection of "E" Street and Mono. Visiting relatives who lived on nearby farms. Dad and his younger sister, Joyce, were active members of the fierce group of "Junior Commandos" during World War II. He earned the rank of Lieutenant due his determined effort in collecting the most newspapers, coffee jars and tin foil for the war effort.

Dad attended Roosevelt High School and graduated in 1953. In 1954, he enlisted into the Air Force and got to travel to different parts of the United States. Most of his time in the service was spent in Alaska and Washington. His duties, although not exciting but still vital, were mostly confined to office and administrative tasks. Mom refers to his job in the service as a "pencil pusher". He spent 4 years in active duty and 4 years in the reserves. He was honorably discharged in November of 1962.

1962 was a quite a year for my father. It was during this year that he met a young and beautiful woman who would rock his world. Her name was Vesta. Now Ms. Vesta had some children from a previous marriage and her life had been less than charmed up to that point. This did not deter my father and in January of 1963, they were wed and he instantly became a father to 2 young girls, Billie and Donna. But this was not challenging enough for the young couple. In September of 1963, my parents were blessed, and I mean BLESSED, with twin boys, Mike and Mitch. The family was now complete.

Growing up, I remember my father assisting my mother as they took on the responsibility of being a Girl Scout leader. I remember a few camping trips and lots of Girl Scout cookies at the house. I remember my father coaching the Little League baseball teams for me and my brother for 5 years. Dad also would ferry my sisters, brother and me to our various extra-curricular activities such as band practice, Boy Scouts, football practice and catechism. He even taught us kids to drive. He was an involved parent.

Dad also had some hobbies that he would enjoy in his spare time. He enjoyed fishing and tried to instill this joy into his sons, but it was not to be. He was on numerous bowling teams and came within 1 pin of scoring a perfect 300 game. He also participated in recreational softball leagues and the sport of golf. When he was just too old to participate in these sports, he enjoyed watching them either on TV or in person. Dad, Mike and I spent countless times watching the Fresno Giants, Fresno Grizzlies and Fresno State Bulldogs. Dad also spent time with my mother working with ceramics.

Dad was employed by Armature Service in the late 1950's and spent over 40 years with the company. He held various positions with the automotive parts rebuilding company but most of his time was spent as a foreman/supervisor. The smell of the facility was distinctive and will always stay with me and serve as a reminder of my father.

My mother actually had 5 girls from her previous marriage but had given up 3 of them to adoption as it was too much to handle for a single mother in early 1960's. These 3 girls, Brenda, Sharon and Karen, would come into my father's life in the late 1980's. Now the 2 girls that he helped raise, Billie and Donna, had always considered William Yost as their father and he saw them as nothing less than his own daughters. Brenda, Sharon and Karen, although not his biological daughters, were still treated as part of the family. At the time of his passing, William Yost had 5 daughters, 2 sons, 15 grandchildren, 27 great grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren.

My parents were married for 58 years. They sacrificed many things to give their children a better life than they had. My father had many friends thru the years. Many people remember him as a kind and gentle man who could be depended on when the need arose. He laid the foundation for being a decent person to his children.

He is survived by his wife, Vesta, and a brother, Richard, and a sister, Joyce. He is preceded in death by another sister, Barbara, and his parents, Henry and Mollie. My father will be dearly missed by his family and all those who knew him, but it is a comfort that his pain and suffering have come to an end. Until we see you again in Heaven, LOVE YOU DAD.