CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. — Yolande Houde Dorminy was called by her creator and taken into his loving arms as she died peacefully in her sleep Sunday, Sept. 7, coincidentally her mother’s 100th birthday.

Yolande was born March 10, 1937 in Biddeford, Maine, the daughter of Josephat and Yvette (Tardif) Houde.

She grew up in Biddeford and graduated from Biddeford High School, Class of 1955.

She left shortly after high school and moved to the Washington, D.C. area, where she lived with her sister Priscille. While in D.C., she worked at several government agencies, starting with the Central Intelligence Agency, then the House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate and in one presidential election. She worked at Duke Energy (then Florida Power Corp.) in the security clearance division. She also worked for the Citrus County Board of Elections in several capacities.

It was at this time that she enrolled in the University of Florida and earned her associate’s degree, a feat of which she was very proud. An ardent music lover, she graduated from Chicago’s Sherwood Conservatory of Music at the age of 16.

Yolande traveled extensively around the world and enjoyed doing so with her husband Jack. Close to her heart was being a lector and Eucharist minister at St. Benedict’s Catholic Church in Crystal River. When not in Florida, she enjoyed visiting with her brother, Ray, and just being friends with her 50th high school reunion committee members, Nancy, Sheila, Lorraine, Shirley and Pat, as well as eating out at Huot’s with another close friend, Claire.

Yolande was preceded in death by: her parents, Josephat and Yvette (Tardif) Houde.

Surviving are: her husband of 54 years, Jack Farrell Dorminy of Crystal River; a sister, Priscille Bennet and her husband Larry of Cape Coral; a brother, Renald “Ray” Houde and his wife Arlene of Biddeford, Maine; three nieces and two nephews, Pamela (Pierce) Hawley and her husband Don of Concord, Massachusetts, Karen (Pierce) Conwell and her husband Kevin of Marblehead, Massachusetts, Marlene (Houde) Miller and her husband Chris of Smyrna, Tennessee, Timothy Houde and his wife Kelly of Saco, Maine, and Scott Houde, esq. and his wife Maura Keavney, esq., of Biddeford, Maine; and several grand-nephews and grand-nieces.

A graveside memorial is being planned for the first Saturday in October, Oct. 4, at 10 a.m., with a rain date of Sunday, Oct. 5 at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph Cemetery in Biddeford, Maine. Those planning an expression of sympathy can do so by making a donation in Yo’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, P.O. Box 50, Memphis, TN 38101.