Obituary of Yvonne Racine

With great sadness, we announce the passing of Yvonne Racine (née: Davidson) who peacefully passed away on Saturday January 27, 2024, after a courageous battle with Alzheimer’s disease.  She was 80 years old.

Yvonne, who was affectionately known as “Yoyo”, was loved and cherished by her devoted husband Ron, her children Luke (Mel) and Kirsti (Tanit), and her grandchildren Olivia and Evan.  She was also loved by scores of extended family and friends around the globe. She was predeceased by her brother Tom (Janet).

Yvonne lived a full life and was an adventurer at heart.  She was born in Glasgow, Scotland and earned an English Literature degree before emigrating to Canada during her early twenties.  She lived in Montreal, QC where she met the love of her life Ron, before they settled in Hamilton, ON to raise their family.  Yvonne and Ron spent a happy retirement in Comox, BC, before coming back to Ontario. 

After earning a second degree in Computer Science, Yvonne worked at McMaster University in the Centre for Studies of Children at Risk, contributing to numerous academic publications.  During academic sojourns, she also lived in Georgia, Russia; Seattle, Washington; and Dunedin, New Zealand. 

Yvonne was an inspiration to many.  She was not just a survivor, but a warrior having triumphed over breast cancer.  She was active in her community and enjoyed travelling, hiking, reading, discovering new music, weaving tapestries, and taking photographs with Ron.  Yvonne was kind, wise, resilient, energetic and had a razor-sharp wit.

The Racine family is grateful to the staff at Luther Village on the Park and AgeCare West Wiliams who provided compassionate care to Yvonne. 

For those who wish, donations can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society of Canada or the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada. 

Wear the colour purple in memory of Yvonne.  It was her favourite!