YANDLE _ Anne McMaster Carson died in the early hours of December 12th, 2006 at the Marion Hospice, Vancouver. She bore a short and devastating battle with cancer bravely and uncomplainingly, surrounded by an outpouring of help and concern from her family and friends. Anne was born on December 29th, 1930 near Ballymoney in Northern Ireland. She grew up on the family farm with her older brother, Robert, and younger brother David. Anne learned to read aged four at her Grandfather Carson's knee. Her lifelong love of books and nature began there at home in the Irish countryside. After school she attended Alexandra College, Dublin and then Trinity College where she graduated with BA and BCom degrees. She worked in Belfast until 1957 when she and a school friend emigrated to Winnipeg. Shortly afterwards she moved to Vancouver, where she spent the rest of her life. Anne fenced, country-danced and worked at the Public Library until she enrolled in 1960 at McGill University's School of Library Science, obtaining her BLS degree the following year. Anne and three classmates accepted jobs on the Coast. The Special Collections Division of the UBC Library was fortunate to add Anne to its staff and she quickly rose to Division Head. In 1965 she married Philip Yandle, a long time admirer. Anne and Phil enjoyed a warm and loving relationship, mutually supportive, travelling widely in the Province and abroad. With Phil's early death in 1978, Anne focussed her considerable energies the expansion of Special Collections, tending to the needs of students, faculty and numerous visiting scholars. Her Division provided a wonderful resource for local history and West Coast exploration, and archival material in many areas. After early retirement in 1991, Anne concentrated on Marco Polo Books, a travel book business which she had co-founded in 1989. Catalogues were collated and dispatched to a growing number of customers. Anne and her business partner were working on the latest catalogue in the fall but, alas, Anne's energies were too low to complete it. Her personal interests were wide: travel, music, gardening, nature, book clubs. Her home was open to family, friends and visitors of all kinds - so much so it was described as Anne's B & B. Her great gift was for friendship with people of all ages and all walks of life. Much loved, much mourned, Anne Yandle was the salt of the earth and like salt, we miss her. A gathering to honour Anne will be held in the near future.

Published in the Vancouver Sun on 12/23/2006.