Yolanda Alicia Protzel, our radiant matriarch and embodiment of unconditional love, passed away peacefully surrounded by familia on April 14, 2025. Born on February 10, 1935, in Cuzco, Peru to Cesar and Alicia Pinedo, Yolanda carried lifelong cherished memories of her childhood at La Hacienda Colca in Quillabamba, a province nestled in the verdant lower Andes mountains. There, she developed grace and artistry through self-taught determination, performing traditional Andean dance and gymnastics — her first of many pursuits that would define her resourceful spirit.
Upon becoming a young mother and a Peruvian Army wife, Yolanda moved to Lima, dedicating herself to raising her four daughters. Driven by her passion for learning, she pursued various activities beyond the household that contributed to her daughters’ development—including courses in cosmetology, cooking, and baking. Her journey took her to Piura, where she earned a certification as a practical nurse through the Peruvian Red Cross, receiving recognition for distinguished service during the tragic 1970 earthquake in Huaraz, Peru. She returned to Lima in 1971, where she worked as an esthetician. She created a warm, elegant, and welcoming home in Miraflores, hosting memorable gatherings for friends and family with graceful attention to detail.
Yolanda mastered the art of Peruvian cooking, spending countless hours in the kitchen, and passing her knowledge to her children and grandchildren as her grandmother Anita before her. Her famous “sopitas” and beautifully plated dishes became vessels for family stories and cultural heritage. She also learned to knit and embroider beautifully, and loved making flower arrangements, where she took her time creating little pieces of art.
Her daughters eventually settled abroad, leading Yolanda to divide her time between the United States, Peru, Venezuela, and Canada. She carried her determination and nurturing spirit wherever she went, helping her daughters with their children and homes. She proudly became a U.S. citizen in 1997. Beyond her native Spanish, she was fluent in Quechua and English.
The role of “Mamamama” to ten grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren brought her great joy and has left a profound legacy. With gentle hands that held ancient wisdom, she gave the first bath to each of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, a ritual that symbolized the passing of Peruvian traditions across generations. Mamamama’s presence during precious early moments with the youngest members of her family brought not only practical help but a profound sense of security and continuity to their mothers and fathers.
In her final years, Yolanda lived in Orlando, Florida, continuing to cook, enjoying her games, knitting, embroidery, telenovelas, and traveling to be with her extended family. As her health declined, she moved to a beautiful care center in Winter Garden, where her gentle spirit touched everyone around her. Staff and residents alike were delighted by daily visits from her family and drawn to her inherent love and kindness, which remained even as her memories faded.
Mamamama’s legacy is one of undying love and care. She taught us that true wealth is love freely given. Patient, kind, and loving, her spirit lives on in each family gathering, in every Peruvian dish prepared by her descendants, and in the values that bind her family and friends across generations and continents.
Yolanda is survived by her daughters Eliana, Ana, Marianella, and Karen; sons-in-law Ruben, Christopher, Edesio, and Jon; grandchildren Charisse, Yvette, Claudia, Marianella, Alicia, Luis Edesio, Mauricio, Alfredo, Fabian, and their respective spouses; great-grandchildren Adrian, Isla, Vincent, Julian, Christian, Emily, Jocelyn, Fabian, Arturo, and Larissa; and sisters Luz Marina and Doris, and a large extended family of cousins, nieces and nephews in her beloved Peru. She was predeceased by her husband Otto, siblings Luis, Rosa, Washington, Tula, and Lisbeth, son-in-law Alfredo, and grandson Nickolas.