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NUNEZ -- Yolanda Edna Nunez (1944 - 2009), Apache/Chicana writer, activist, educator, mother and grandmother, lived many lives in her 64 years on Earth. She passed away in Scottsdale, Arizona on Sunday, October 4, 2009 due to complications from cancer. Yolanda was born in Los Angeles, California on December 4, 1944. She lived most of her life throughout the Southwest area of the US, in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, as well as spending time in many parts of Mexico, including Oaxaca. Yolanda spent many years in the Los Angeles area in the late 60s and early 70s and much of the past ten years in and around the San Francisco Bay Area of northern California. Yolanda was an outstanding singer, dancer, poet, storyteller, and indigenous and women's rights activist working with many musicians, artists, galleries, nonprofit organizations, tribes, and agencies. She wrote short stories, poetry, and loved to photograph and document the lives and stories of native and Chicana artists and women throughout the Southwest, including important human rights work on the US/Mexico border. Most importantly, Yolanda was a proud mother and grandmother. She is survived by two daughters, Tiffany Cramer and Allegre Cramer, both of the Phoenix, Arizona area; From her daughter Tiffany she is survived by her grandson Morgan, age nine, and granddaughter Izabella, age seven. From her daughter Allegre, she is survived by her grandson Ethan, age nine; Two brothers, David Nunez and Joe Ray Nunez of New Mexico, also survive Yolanda. Yolanda was deeply loved by her many diverse friends from all walks of life. She considered Manzano and Taos, New Mexico her spiritual home areas but was a committed traveler and adventurer and loved road trips. She enjoyed moving with the seasons back and forth from the high deserts of New Mexico to the Pacific Ocean and back to the deserts of Arizona. She will be missed greatly by her daughters, grandchildren, brothers, and extended family and friends. Yolanda Nunez's bright spirit, hearty laugh, and radiant smile will forever be a part of the people she touched. Con mucho amor, besitos y abrazos, tu hermana amiga siempre!
        Published on: Sun October 11, 2009