Warm, wise warrior

From the day she met Andrea Yeager at a Women of Wisdom luncheon, Robin Killeen recognized her extraordinary gifts. 

“My first impression was this red-haired beauty was full of charisma and passion,” recalls Killeen, who founded WOW and remained Yeager’s friend for 22 years.

Yeager was the Sun Herald’s managing editor for five years and served as a longtime food columnist, in addition to stints as a community relations manager for Barnes and Noble and a beauty consultant with Mary Kay. She also contributed numerous recipes to Gulf Coast Woman — sharing not only how to make many of her favorite dishes, but also the treasured family stories and memories associated with each one.

Since her death on Jan. 17 at the age of 70, the community has been grieving the loss of her joyful smile and gentle spirit. She is survived by her daughter, Elyssa Yeager; and her granddaughter, Lillian Yeager, and she was predeceased by her husband and high school sweetheart, Allen Yeager. 

The last time Killeen saw her friend was at a WOW Leadership potluck on Dec. 8, when Yeager and Lillian stayed behind to help build a gingerbread house for a contest, in which WOW took fourth place. 

“This was the last thing we did together,” Killeen says. “Andrea left a lasting mark on our lives, and she will be in our hearts forever.” 

In a blog post on his website, sportswriter and columnist Jim Mashek reflected on how Yeager had put him at ease the day he’d interviewed at the Sun Herald. 

“Andrea Yeager was my biggest fan in the building, and the feeling was mutual,” Mashek recalls. “Her door was always open; she always had an open mind. She loved newspapers as much as I did, and her understated personality was more than a little welcome. 

“She was nobody’s tyrant. But it was her newsroom.” 

A “Texas girl through and through” who’d hailed from Baytown — where Mashek got his start in the newspaper business — Yeager made a huge impression on him with her kindness and authenticity. When he learned of her passing from Facebook, the news hit “like the proverbial ton of bricks.” 

“My jaw dropped in disbelief. Teared up a little bit, wistful that I never got to meet her granddaughter, Lillian.” he writes of the “warm-but-wise editor with a heart of gold.” 

That heart, according to her close friend, Esther Tidwell, was as big as her home state. They met when their children were in the same fourth-grade class, and after 9-11, they helped with a school-wide bake sale to raise money for the New York City Fire Department.

“We became co-room mothers and fast friends,” Tidwell recalls. “Even with our age difference, we spent a lot of time together with our children and grandchildren. We were friends and maintained that friendship until her death. We always forgave each other, the truest part of a friendship.” 

According to Tidwell, Yeager always put her best foot forward, donning a made-up face and stylish attire with coordinating accessories. She also was a fan of many different cuisines and collected a variety of cookbooks. 

A true humanitarian, who at one time had three dogs and six cats, Yeager expressed her great love for people and animals with numerous mentorship and volunteer efforts, Tidwell says. These included activities through Bridge Community Church, leadership in WOW, New Beginnings Mission and United Coast Prayer Movement and the Humane Society of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. While visiting an ICU together for a church ministry, Tidwell recalls that they brought snacks and prayed with many individuals and families. 

Yeager’s faith, Tidwell adds, was the defining force in her life, and she found a creative outlet, as well as a vehicle for worship, in dancing, painting and other artistic hobbies. 

“Andrea loved to dance for the Lord; her dance was very dramatic and memorable …,” Tidwell says. “I called her ‘prayer warrior,’ and she called me ‘woman of faith.’” 

Killeen likewise describes Yeager as a warrior. 

“Andrea heard God’s voice clearly, precisely,” she says.