Yvonne Hammond-Homans

Yvonne Schraepen Hammond-Homans, age 80, died at home in Canton MA on Sunday, November 5, 2017. Born in Embourg, Belgium, on January 25, 1937, Yvonne came from a big, loving Belgian family, headed by her parents, Alphonse and Josee Schraepen. That spirit traveled with her across the Atlantic in 1961, when she came to the U.S. with her first husband, Henry Hammond. Together, they raised daughter Genevieve and son Henry, who survive her, as do their spouses Dan Matthews and Mimi Neuman, as well as her grandchildren Eli, Bex, and Jesse. Yvonne loved above all being a mother and a grandmother, and that feeling extended to her second family, which she acquired in 1988, when she married James A. P. Homans, who predeceased her in 2016. She embraced his sons James, John, and Samuel, their wives Laura, Angela, and Mittie, and their children as well: Michael, Cathy, Caroline, Camilla, Charles, Daniel, and Stewart. The same held true when Genevieve married Dan; his children John, Joe, and Mary joined the circle – family was family to Yvonne, and her heart kept making room for more. It had a special corner for her dogs, Lili, Lucy, and Ozzie.

Having completed some college studies at the Universite de Liege in Belgium, her career path in the U.S. started with administrative positions at the Harvard Medical School and then the Cardiovascular Division of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. After an early retirement from this field, Yvonne pursued a new path in retail. Always beautifully turned out herself, she found positions in a variety of elegant outlets, winding up at Eileen Fisher stores, where she took great pleasure and was always a perfect model for the clothing.

A voracious reader, generous and skilled cook, student of Iyengar yoga for more than 40 years, ardent feminist, and discerning watcher of British and Australian TV dramas, Yvonne shone a warm light on the world for all the years she walked its paths. She will be missed by more people than she might have imagined, and all of her big, loving family will treasure her memory forever.

A private burial is planned for Saturday, November 11. That afternoon, from 1:00-5:00, an open house will be held at Yvonne’s home. Informal remarks will be made at about 3:00, but well-wishers are welcome at any time.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to Planned Parenthood, or Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors without Borders.