It is with broken hearts that the family of Charlotte Elizabeth Yeates announces that
Charlotte passed away on April 18th
2021 at the age of 95 years. Beloved wife of 72 years to
Allan Yeates, devoted mother to Carol (Kirk), Jody, Stephen (Adrianne), Peter (Tina) and Trish
(Beth) and adored Nanny to Christopher, Taylor (Chelsea), Elizabeth Cherry, Mackenzie (Ben),
Tom (Jessica), Peter (Kait), Indira, MacLeod (Stela), Zach (Sarah) and Jude.
Charlotte was born in Schenectady, New York on May 17,1925 to Ruth and Theodore
Farley. The family immigrated to Canada when Charlotte was 6 years old and settled in
Hamilton,Ontario. Charlotte grew up in a loving family with one elder brother (Ted II) and
younger twin sisters, Lois and Anne.
Charlotte met the love of her life, Allan Yeates, in high school while decorating the gym
for a Valentine’s dance. She was so smitten with his handsome looks and charming demeanour,
she accepted his invitation to the dance while turning down a previous suitor. They were
inseparable from that point forward. They remained together even as Charlotte attended the
University of Toronto and Allan attended The University of Western Ontario. Love letters were
exchanged on an almost daily basis as they looked forward to weekends when they would see
each other again. At U of T, Charlotte graduated with a degree in Occupational Therapy. After
graduating, she enjoyed and gained satisfaction from her work helping patients recover and
develop the skills needed for daily living.
Not long after, in 1948, Charlotte and Allan married. They were eager to have children
and it was then that Charlotte decided to dedicate her life to being a loving mother. Charlotte
supported each of her five children and was always available to lend a helping hand or a
listening ear. Her children were her pride and joy and they flourished under her love and care.
Through the years, Charlotte and Allan bought and sold at least 20 homes in and around
Toronto, as well as Hamburg, New York and Clearwater, Florida. Charlotte could have been a
professional interior designer as evidenced in the many homes she transformed into spectacular
and welcoming spaces. She had an artist’s eye, buckets of creativity and a work ethic that often
had her painting and hanging wall paper into the wee hours of the morning. She did all this while
caring for 5 children!
Charlotte had a passion for gardening and when she wasn’t busy transforming the
interiors of her homes, she was lovingly creating colourful exterior gardens and outdoor living
spaces that were soothing to the soul and designed for family gatherings. Over the years,
Charlotte also volunteered with the Children’s Aid Society in Toronto and even fostered Sally,
one of her clients, after her last child went to university.
Charlotte was thrilled to be “Nanny” when grandchildren started arriving and was
probably happiest when visiting with and looking after her grandkids. Besides her love for Allan,
Charlotte’s love for her children and grandchildren was everything to her.
This past January, Charlotte was heartbroken to lose her soulmate Allan. Charlotte was a
loving, considerate and generous wife, mother and friend and will forever be missed by the many
people whose hearts she touched.