Yvonne R. Kay, of Apalachin, NY, passed away peacefully at Wilson Hospital in Johnson City, NY, on October 9, 2026, at the age of 84. Yvonne was born November 1, 1941, in Worcester, MA, the daughter of Edmund L. and Yvonne R. Coonan. She was predeceased by; her parents, her husband Harold “Harry” Kay, and her son Robby Kay. Yvonne is survived by; her sons, Scott (Beth) Kay, Islamorada, FL, Todd Kay, Apalachin, NY; two grandchildren, Dylan (Alyssa) Kay, Binghamton, Dr. Brittany (Cameron) Leonard, Denver, CO; three great-grandchildren, Owen “O-Dubbs” Kay, Ava Kay, and Zoe Kay; sister, Roberta Coonan; brother, Edmund “Butch” (Lynda) Coonan, and many cousins, nieces, and nephews..
Yvonne was born November 1, 1941, in Worcester, MA, the daughter of Edmund L. and Yvonne R. Coonan. She was a graduate of Anna Maria College in Paxton, MA, and earned her master’s degree in education at Elmira College in Elmira, NY.
Born in Massachusetts, Yvonne was very proud of her New England roots and loved to tell stories of her childhood and of the summers she spent on Cape Cod. Unfortunately, many of those stories could not be fully understood due to her inability to pronounce the letter “R.” She was, in every sense of the phrase, a “wicked pissah.”
Her father, in his youth, was a Golden Gloves boxer. He was afraid, perhaps, of only two people, both of whom shall remain named Yvonne.
Yvonne married her devoted soulmate, Harold “Harry” Kay of Woonsocket, RI, in 1966. They were married for almost exactly 20 years before his passing in 1985. This was a testament, as she would acknowledge, to his sense of humor, patience, and status as a living saint. Yvonne was never completely the same person after his death.
Together, Yvonne and Harry had three sons who, despite their best efforts, were ultimately unsuccessful in what she often expressed and believed to be their goal of “putting her in an early grave.”
As the oldest, Scott’s only notable accomplishment was to provide Yvonne with the daughter she never had but always wanted, in his wife Beth.
Robby, like her, was a middle child whom she forever described as being “just like her.” It has never been determined if this was a compliment.
Todd, her youngest and final attempt at getting the daughter she always wanted, was her absolute pride and joy, her near-constant companion, fierce protector, and the person who cared for her every day until the end of her life. It is her greatest wish that Todd now take care of himself with the same dedication and attention that he always showed her.
Yvonne’s life’s work was as a teacher. This was true both professionally and as a hobby, as she was often known to “teach a lesson” to people she had just met, who were often unaware of their newly granted scholarship benefits.
She started her teaching career in the 1960s in Cape Canaveral, FL, while her husband worked as part of the Gemini and early Apollo space programs. It is rumored that it may have been her who suggested to President Kennedy that “You will put that man on the moon and return him safely to the Earth before this decade is out,” as it was by that time that she intended to be married and return to Massachusetts to start a family.
President Kennedy’s goal was accomplished on July 20, 1969, with Yvonne and Harry’s first child arriving in December of that same year.
After returning to Massachusetts, Yvonne paused her teaching career to raise a family. She later returned to teaching, both as a career and a passion. She taught first at St. John’s in Binghamton and later at Harpursville Central Schools, where she continued to teach, substitute, and provide both solicited and unsolicited advice well into her seventies. It was at Harpursville that she met many of her closest friends, such as Brenda Rhodes and Linda Judd, with whom she often spent holidays and whose friendships brought her both companionship and joy.
Yvonne’s older sister, Roberta, was her best friend, as well as her lifelong mentor and partner in crime in their common pursuit of advancing the art and science of debate, and of perfecting techniques required to effectively dig in one’s heels.
Her brother, Edmund “Butch” Coonan, like his father before him, is an extremely interesting person to talk to, although his sisters rarely afforded him a window in which to speak.
Yvonne leaves behind many cousins, nieces, and nephews who each have their own stories of how their lives were positively impacted by her. It should be noted that a number of these stories may include unsubstantiated accounts of her young charges being misplaced in shopping malls or accosted by flocks of rogue geese, despite being under the ever-watchful eye of their beloved aunt.
In addition to Yvonne’s family, her story would not be complete without mentioning her “friends who became family,” Anne and Bob Laubisch. Anne and Bob were neighbors, friends, sounding boards, providers of on-call handyman services, and the type of people who can never be thanked enough.
Yvonne will be laid to rest at Calvary Cemetery in Johnson City, NY, following a small private service. In lieu of flowers, family and friends may make donations to Catholic Charities of Broome County in Binghamton, NY, which supports a number of local mental health programs. Full obituary also found at www.TiersNews.com. Please express condolences at www.SavageFS.com. Arrangements entrusted to SAVAGE-DeMarco Funeral Service.
