OBITUARY: Dorothy Yates Book, 85, of Marble Falls dies March 11, 2014
Dorothy Yates Book, 85, an innovator in early childhood education, died early March 11, 2014, at the Arbor House assisted-living facility in Marble Falls, Texas. She was a devoted wife, mother, sister, and grandmother; a loyal friend; and active in her community throughout most of her life.
Dorothy Ellen Kincaid was born Dec. 26, 1928, in Abilene, Texas, the oldest of five children. Her parents were William Lee Kincaid and Naomi Hatton Kincaid, both lifelong Abilene residents. After high school, she attended Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, graduating with a degree in journalism in 1950. Hardin Simmons is also where she met her first husband, Wayland Davis Yates. They married on June 24, 1950.
The couple lived in Big Spring, Wichita Falls and Abilene before settling in San Angelo in 1965 with their three children. Wayland Yates died in 1970 from injuries sustained in an airplane crash at Mathis Field in San Angelo.
Dorothy devoted her working life to educating children. In San Angelo, she first operated Peter Pan, a kindergarten and day-care center, and later built the Sandcastle, a vibrant school that met the educational and after-school needs of infants through elementary-aged children.
Dorothy was passionate about early childhood education. She introduced her own young children and later her kindergarten classes to drama, history, Spanish, French, phonetics, numbers and art.
She met her second husband, George Edward Book, in the mid-1970s, and they married on April 17, 1977. The couple retired in the late-1980s, moving to a geodesic dome house they built on a waterfront lot in Kingsland in the Hill Country of Texas.
Dorothy also was a gifted artist who worked in acrylics, oils and multimedia. She often painted scenes that included reflective objects such as glass vases, silver teapots and mirrors. She loved to travel and paint what she saw outdoors, capturing broad Texas vistas, clouds, wildflowers and reflections in the water.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents; sisters, Mary Kathleen Leach, Jean Eileen Pope and Ruby Jane Burkhart; and grandson Alexander Soto Cano.
She is survived by her husband, George; brother, William Hatton Kincaid; sons, Kent Yates and Kent Book; daughters, Brenda Spyridon, Janelle Yates and Diana Yates; granddaughters, Adrienne Cano, Crystal Tipton and Ashton Spyridon; and grandsons Josh Kanapkey, Zach Kanapkey, Jason Kanapkey, Travis Book, Mark Yates-White and Preston Spyridon.
A visitation is noon-8 p.m. March 14 at Putnam Funeral Home, 145 Texas Ave. in Kingsland, (325) 388-0008. A second visitation is 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. March 15 at the funeral home. A Mass is 2 p.m. March 15 at Trinity Episcopal Church, 909 Ave. D in Marble Falls.
An online guest register may be signed at www.putnamcares.com.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be directed to either the Alexander Cano Memorial Internship in the West Texas Collection at Angelo State University or the Wayland Yates Memorial (Journalism) Scholarship at Angelo State University. Please send donations to: Development Office, Angelo State University, ASU Station No. 11023, San Angelo, TX, 76909-1023; Attention: Jamie Akin.