Memorial Site for Yvonne Crichton
Funeral Service: here
Funeral Program: here
Funeral Tributes: here
Birthday Zoom: here
Join the mailing list to be notified for the future scholarship fund in Yvonne's honor here
Yvonne's Bio:
Dr. Yvonne Pearl Crichton was born on November 5,1943 to Milton and Sylvia Crichton, in Kingston, Jamaica. She attended St. George's Primary School and then her much beloved Wolmer's High School for Girls. After obtaining her O levels and A levels she worked at the Banana Board in Jamaica. Yvonne then attended Howard University in Washington D.C, where she graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy in 1972.
In 1973 Yvonne heeded then Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley's call for Jamaicans to return and serve the country and headed the Pharmacy program at the College of Arts, Science and Technology (CAST). She obtained an Independence Post Graduate Scholarship in 1977 and returned to the United States to do her Doctorate in Pharmacy in New York which she obtained in 1981 from St. John's University. She, once again returned to CAST and after another 3 years there started working at Medimpex, Jamaica Ltd.
Later in 1988 she migrated to Guyana to work at the Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation but then returned to the United States in 1990 where she was appointed as a Director at Pfizer. While there she helped pioneer the formation of the Worldwide Safety Reporting Team in the 90s and later lead the Medical Inquiry and Follow Up Letter Team. She continued to lead teams at Pfizer until her retirement in 2009.
Yvonne was a kind, energetic, multi-talented person, with a stubborn streak. While at Wolmer's she excelled in Netball and in turn represented the school, Jamaica Under 23, and the Jamaica National Team in competition. The highlight of her netball career occurred when she was voted the Most Valuable Player on the Jamaican team in the World Championships in Australia in 1967.
She also displayed advanced self-taught artistic skills and nurtured those skills in others. Her main art medium was in the paper arts, particularly paper pulp sculptures, origami, paper flowers and paper jewelry. As a leader of the origami group at First Presbyterian Church and a member of Origami USA, she spread her knowledge of paper arts to others and lead many art projects for those organizations. She also sewed beautifully, creating custom dresses, curtains, and cushions. Yvonne also authored an illustrated book called Our Precious Child, a keepsake album which chronicles a child's religious journey beginning with baptism.
Yvonne was an involved community member for several organizations such as the First Presbyterian Church, Women's Club of Englewood, and the Garden Club of Englewood. A mentor to many, Yvonne spent much of her time teaching and counseling youth, holding them to high standards and pushing them to achieve.
Yvonne leaves two children, Dr. Donna Pitter and Frank Denbow, along with siblings Cecille, Arthur, Jean and Olive and was predeceased by siblings, Cynthia, Barry, Donald, Beverley, Lyman, Beryl, and Mira.
