Victoria May Yansen

Victoria May Augusta Yansen (nee Blackman) passed away peacefully at her home in Goleta, California on March 25th, 2014 at the age of ninety-four. May, as her family and friends called her, was born on August 23rd, 1919 to Adelaide Eliza (nee Angoy) and Samuel Augustus Blackman in Georgetown, Guyana, South America. She attended Modern High School and Teacher’s College in Georgetown. She worked as a primary school teacher at St Ambrose’s Elementary school. She married Leopold Ignatius Yansen on June 28th, 1944. Their home in Subryanville was a place where their children and friends always found good food, good conversation and a warm welcome. After being a housewife during her children’s early years, she started making her crafts available to local merchants and individuals, blossoming as an entrepreneur during their teenage years. May and Leo immigrated to the United States in 1981 to live with the rest of the family in California. She became widowed upon Leo’s death in 1986. She was a talented and creative spirit who excelled in many areas of arts and crafts. She loved to paint in oils and acrylics, mold clay pottery and dishes, embroider dresses and tablecloths, play the piano, make dolls, bake pastries, and create dried flower arrangements, just to name a few of her activities. For many years, she was a member of St. Mark’s Catholic University Parish. In her later years, she greatly enjoyed participating in activities at the Friendship Adult Day Center in Montecito and in Goleta. She was a beloved mother to Cherie Blackman Gibson (Oslo), Winston Cedric Blackman, Andrew Yansen (Sabina), Joanne Yansen Madison (Otis) and Sally Yansen. She was a loving grandmother to Gordon Gibson, Angela Gibson Gray, Taiwo Madison, Kehinde Madison, SaidaaKai Madison, David Yansen, Stacy Yansen and Ariel Yansen and great-grandchildren Shakema, Kya, Onaje, Donte, Shawnte, Jasmine and great-great grandchildren Akirah, Kiarah, Kayla, Jonathan and most recently to great –great granddaughter Aya. She was preceded in death by her brothers, Basil Brentnol Blackman, Ovid Victor Blackman, Carl Rupert Blackman, Oscar Blackman, William Blackman, John Blackman, David Blackman, Fred Blackman and her sisters, Leoline Inez Blackman, Violet Olga Blackman, Sybil Ulrica Earle, Eudora Dorothea Blackman and Winifred Brown. She was also preceded in death by her grandson Dennis Howard Blackman, her nieces Nandine Rodney Changlee, Cynthia Stewart, Sybil Staglan, Ina Joseph, Beverly Earle, Margaret Yansen and Sonja Jansen and her nephews Edward Blackman, Lawrence Blackman, Vincent Blackman and Clifton Blackman. She is survived by many nieces and nephews including Norma Yansen, Roger Yansen, Kirsten Jansen, Ian Yansen, Doreen Webb, Basil Roy Blackman, Joycelyn Phillips, Walter Fisher, Courtney Parris, Ann Perkins, Maurice Blackman, Melanie Collymore, Paula Blackman, Karen Sinclair, Janis Medas, Alison Violano, Stephen Earle, Norma Williams, Patrick Earle, Dennis Blackman, Hazel Binger, Audrey Joseph, Cheryl Kirton, Clive Blackman, Rawle Blackman, Doreen Axwijk, Bevil Blackman, Eileen Reece, Edith Blackman, Sam Blackman, Rhonda Blackman and Janice Blackman and many great-nieces and great-nephews residing in Guyana, the United States, Canada and in England who are too numerous to mention. “Aunt May” was a source of love, affection, wisdom and advice to her children, god-children, grand-children, nieces, nephews and to almost everyone she met. She made friends with everybody and was generous with her talents, her time and with everything she owned. She approached every situation with practical common sense and with good humor. She was able to find the funny side to almost any situation. Her grandchildren will miss her “bush remedies” that she offered for every ailment and her (unsolicited) advice on every aspect of their romantic lives. She wanted so much to see her grand-daughter Saidaa “married and with children”. We know that her spirit will continue to watch over us through these milestones for the rest of our lives. Visitation will be held on Monday March 31st, 2014 at Welch-Ryce Haider at 450 Ward Drive, Santa Barbara, CA 93111. Funeral Services will be held at 10.00am on Tuesday, April1st, 2014 in the Welch-Ryce-Haider Funeral Chapel followed by burial at Goleta Cemetery District located at 44 S. San Antonio Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93110. We will always cherish her memory.

Victoria May Yansen

August 23, 1919 - March 25, 2014