June 19, 1964 - September 12, 2022
Yvette Menking, 58, of Loveland, CO died at home on September 12, 2022, after receiving a surprise diagnosis of late-stage ovarian cancer in August of 2021.
Yvette was born to Victor and Sandra Barbieri in Santa Monica, CA. Her family then moved several times, going back and forth between New York and Texas. She graduated from Texas A&M in 1986 with a B.S. in Elementary Education.
Working at the YMCA in Estes Park during a college summer break convinced Yvette that Colorado is where she wanted to live. After graduating college she settled in Fort Collins. She married Rod Menking in 1992, and after a short time in Fort Collins they moved to Loveland. Yvette absolutely loved being a full-time mom to their three kids, Joel, Marissa, and Jenna (aka Nova).
Yvette loved the outdoors. When hiking, she was always the first to spot wildlife or notice flowers that others would miss (and she usually knew their names). She would jokingly refer to the peaks along the Front Range as “her” mountains and invite us in. In over 30 years of living on the Front Range, she never took the view of the mountains for granted and treasured being close to them. She also loved animals of all kinds. If you ever ran into someone with a ferret on a leash while hiking, that was probably Yvette. Once the kids were mostly grown, she turned to other things to nurture and grow. The yard became the canvas she “painted” on, as she greatly enjoyed getting her hands dirty to develop her green thumb.
Yvette enjoyed playing piano and the ukulele, and was a lifetime learner who became a voracious reader over time. She was learning to speak Italian, but ran out of time – darn. Those who knew Yvette for any length of time also noticed her love for dark chocolate, in any form. Rod learned early in their marriage that chocolate was far better demonstration of love than flowers.
Yvette had a wonderful faith in God that never faltered. Knowing that there is really only one body in Christ, Yvette was happy to have two church homes in Loveland - the Loveland Vineyard and First Congregational Church.
Yvette is survived by her husband Rod; children Joel (Phoebe), Marissa (Marshall), and Jenna; parents Victor and Sandra Barbieri; her sister Theresa; brother Michael (Tammy); and brother Mark (Kathy). Yvette no doubt would have included her sweet and quirky dog Chase in this list as well.
There will be a Celebration of Life service at First Congregational Church, 800 N Lincoln Avenue in Loveland on Saturday, September 24 at 2:00 pm, with reception to follow. Dress comfortably.
In lieu of flowers, a donation to the Larimer County Food Bank in Yvette’s name would be appreciated.
