Yvonne Marie Wittreich

Yvonne Marie Wittreich passed away peacefully at home on March 9, 2022. She was 79.
She was born in Marienthal, Kansas, in 1942, to William and Helen (Kreutzer) Betlach, the youngest of six children. She graduated from Leoti High School in 1959 and steadfastly worked her way through college, graduating from Fort Hays State University in 1964 with a degree in education and a minor in physical education. She later earned her Doctorate of Education from UNC in 1983, while working full-time and raising her young daughter.
After several years teaching in rural Kansas schools, Yvonne and her husband Ken came to Fort Collins on their honeymoon and moved here in 1968. A dedicated teacher, she treated students as individuals and loved them like her own. She worked as an administrative assistant at Cache La Poudre Elementary for several years, while also serving as lead Title I reading teacher at the school. She had a strong work ethic and a daily commitment to helping make CLPE an outstanding school. Yvonne was an educational leader and later used her skills and talents as director for Poudre School District's Title I reading program, serving as a strong advocate for teachers and students in all of the district's Title I schools. Often with her daughter in tow, she was always working on a new grant or program to reach those ends.
Yvonne loved athletics. In the 70s and 80s she pitched in softball leagues all over Fort Collins. Later her energy turned to tennis and pickleball and golf. She was an avid and skilled golfer. Always energetic, she used her organizational and leadership skills in various community involvement projects and committees. She had a strong belief in her faith and in people. She was devout and fierce, standing up for others and for what she felt was right. Yvonne will be remembered as a generous, encouraging, and loyal friend, and as a playful grandmother.
Yvonne is preceeded in death by her parents, and her siblings William, Connie, Twila, and Ruth.
She is survived by her husband and best friend of 52 years, Ken, daughter Kendra and son-in-law Peter Johnson, granddaughters Mia and Leila, sister Juanita Simonds of Grand Island, NE, and several nieces and nephews. She also leaves behind many close friends.
Visitation and Recitation of the Rosary will be held on March 17 at 6:30 at Bohlender Chapel. A Mass will be held at St. John XXIII Church on Friday, March 18 at 10:00. Memorial contributions may be made to the PSD McKinney-Vento Fund to assist students experiencing homelessness in Poudre School District, c/o Whitney Reid, PSD JSSC, 2407 LaPorte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521 or online.