01/27/2018
Neil's maternal grandmother Ann Yaar, passed away last month. Ann was very ill with Alzheimer's at the time that Neil passed and it was decided that it would be too much for Ann to handle, so she never knew of Neil's passing. If you were a friend or family member of Ann's, we are asking that you consider donating to Neil's Fund in her name, in lieu of sending flowers or other gifts of sympathy. The check should be written to: DREW UNIVERSITY with "Neil Van De Putte Fund" written in the memo section. Mail to the Attention of the Vice President-University Advancement, Drew University, 36 Madison Avenue Madison, NJ 07940.
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Ann Beninger Yaar
12.6.1930 -12.11.2017
Ann grew up in Waverly, OH and graduated from Ohio State in 1953 with a teaching degree in elementary education. In between school, at the tender age of 19, she taught in a classroom with 3 grades and 50 children in the hills of Appalachia. She taught in CA, Colombia, and Venezuela, South America, OH, AL, VA and finally in South Bend, IN. When she couldn't get a job teaching, she held several different jobs in between. Fingerprinting clerk for the FBI, American Lung Assoc, and the Census Bureau, to name a few. She loved to travel. She was determined to see the world and continued to travel to exotic places well into her 70's.
Ann taught the children of US oil company employees who were working in Venezuela and Colombia, South America. In 1957, she met Antonio Yaar in Cali, Colombia, at a party welcoming the teachers. Tony (Antonio) was a chemical engineer. Both of his parents were born in Bethlehem, Palestine, however they moved to South America in the early 1900's. Tony was born and raised in Colombia. After a whirlwind romance, they were married June 9th, that same year in Cali, Colombia. Ann and Tony had five children in seven years.
She was preceded in death by her sons, Peter Ricardo ('65) and John Miguel Yaar ('85); by her husband, Antonio Yaar ('97) and her grandson, Neil Van De Putte ('15). She was also preceded by Metyn Olejnik ('11), who was her close companion for many years.
Her surviving children are George Yaar, a computer expert in Santa Barbara, CA, Victoria Yaar Marraccini (William Marraccini), who owns a horse farm in Locust, NJ and Yvonne Yaar-Sharkey (Dennis Sharkey), a glass artist living in Toms River, NJ. Ann is also survived by four grandchildren, Christina, Katherine, and Marie Marraccini; and Alyse Van De Putte.
In lieu of flowers, Ann's family asks that you donate to a literacy program of your choice or donate to the Neil Van De Putte Scholarship Fund, in Ann's name. The check should be written to: DREW UNIVERSITY with "Neil Van De Putte Fund" written in the memo section. Mail to the Attention of the Vice President-University Advancement, Drew University, 36 Madison Avenue Madison, NJ 07940.
