Yolanda Bernadette Oakman

Yolanda Bernadette Oakman (Yo-Yo) 92 of 31 N. Park Ave. Meadville, Pa. passed away on Monday, September 12, 2016 at her residence at Grace Health Center, Town Square Wesbury United Methodist Home, with family at her side. She was the daughter of Italian immigrants Dominic and Esther (Marotta) Improta, and was born on February 12, 1924 in Scranton Pennsylvania. Yolanda spent her youth and the rest of her first 21 years living in Jersey City, New Jersey. She graduated from James J. Ferris H.S. in 1943, where she had been active in track and basketball. As a young woman, she worked at R.H. Macy & Co. (the original Macy’s), in New York City, and during WWII additionally did volunteer work for the American Red Cross. She helped prepare bandages for autoclaving to be used for wounded military personnel. It was during that period that she met her future husband Jack Oakman, a U.S. Navy Seaman 1/C who she married on December 19, 1945. After the war, they took up residence in the East End of Clearfield, Pa. and Yolanda transformed from city to country girl and soon continued her volunteer work with the Red Cross via the Bloodmobile. Years after her husband passed away and her family moved away, she moved from Clearfield to Meadville where her youngest son Fred resided, and there she renewed her volunteer work with the Red Cross at their Arch St. location. Yolanda lived and thrived in the Shryock building for 17 years before moving to Wesbury in 2012. She was Catholic by faith and attended St. Francis Catholic Church in Clearfield, and Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Meadville. In her younger years Yolanda sang, wrote poetry, and painted. Later in life she enjoyed volunteering and playing bingo with her Shryock “family”. She also enjoyed her biological family and was very proud of all of their accomplishments great and small. She became affectionately known to the family as “Nana”, and subsequently to her Wesbury family as “Yo-Yo”. (Yo-Yo) was preceded in death by her husband Jack A. Oakman on September 7, 1979, as well as her four siblings. They were Helen (Improta) Testa, Etra (Improta) Silvestri, Ferdinand Improta, and Lt. Emil Improta Army Air Corps B-17 co-pilot who was KIA on December 10, 1944 during WWII. She is survived by these loved ones. Her son Jack A. Oakman Jr. and wife Sherry (Campbell) Oakman of Atlanta, Georgia, grandson Jeffrey Oakman and wife Kari, great granddaughter Ansleigh, and great grandson Joshua, all of Winter Garden Florida, and granddaughter Rebecca and great granddaughter Amelia of State College, Pa. Also surviving is son Fredric E. Oakman and wife Romona (Bowery) Oakman, granddaughter Ginger Ferguson, great grandsons Austin, Zachary, and Joseph, and great granddaughter Ily, grandson Fredric and wife Chelsea, all of Meadville, and grandson Seth of Pittsburgh. Calling hours will be on Saturday, September 17, 2016 from 10-noon with a memorial service to follow at the Ryan M. Warren Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Inc. at 544 Chestnut St. Meadville, Pa. Burial will be at a later date beside her husband at the Utahville cemetery in Clearfield County. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Red Cross Pennsylvania or Wesbury United Methodist 31 N. Park Ave. Meadville, Pa. 16335 Please take a moment to share a memory or condolence with the family on Yolanda's Book of Memories online at www.WarrenFH.com.