A longtime Sycamore educator’s life and legacy is being honored with a new endowment fund.

The DeKalb County Community Foundation recently announced the creation of the Yvonne A. Johnson and Family Legacy Endowment Fund.

Established in memory of longtime Sycamore resident and beloved educator Yvonne Johnson, the endowment supports nonprofit and public sector organizations across DeKalb County that were meaningful to Johnson and her family over the years.

Johnson died in May 2023 at the age of 92, leaving behind a powerful legacy as an educator, mentor, lifelong learner and generous community leader, according to a news release.

Her life was defined by her unwavering dedication to students and learning.

She began teaching in 1951 after earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northern Illinois State Teachers College, which later became Northern Illinois University. Over her more than five-decade career in Sycamore schools, she taught in a one-room schoolhouse in her early years and continued serving students in many ways, including tutoring and working in the Learning Center until 2011.

Johnson also created multiple funds through the Community Foundation.

In 2007, she established the Renaissance Education Scholarship Fund, which provides support for adults who have been in the workforce and wish to return to school to pursue a college degree. She also created the DeKalb County Excellence in Education Fund, which recognizes local educators for outstanding achievement.

She served on boards and committees, including the Sycamore Public Library board, and she was widely recognized with honors such as the Clifford Danielson Outstanding Citizen Award and an honorary doctorate from the school district.

“It was an honor to work with Yvonne several years ago to create this endowment fund as part of her estate plan,” DeKalb County Community Foundation Executive Director Dan Templin said in a news release. “It was very intentional and meaningful to her that the fund name include a reference to her immediate family because they helped support her giving over the years as well.

“Yvonne was excited to imagine the surprise and joy the beneficiary organizations would experience in learning of this perpetual support to their organizations.”

Annual support of the endowment will be directed to a variety of organizations across DeKalb County, including Tails Humane Society, Barn on Baseline, Voluntary Action Center, Family Service Agency, Opportunity House, DeKalb County History Center, Sycamore Public Library, Cortland Community Library and the Hinckley Public Library District.

Additional support will be directed to Northern Illinois University’s College of Education for scholarships; Kishwaukee College through the Kishwaukee College Foundation for the departments of science, horticulture and health education; and the Northwestern Memorial Foundation specifically for Kishwaukee Hospital.

“Yvonne Johnson was not only a dedicated educator and community leader; she was also an avid library user and passionate advocate for public libraries,” Sycamore Public Library Director Kim Halsey said in a news release. “Her service on the Sycamore library board and her generous support reflected her deep belief in the power of libraries to change lives. We are humbled and grateful that her legacy will continue to support the library she cared for so deeply.”

Gifts of any size are welcome to grow the impact of the Yvonne A. Johnson and Family Legacy Endowment Fund. To give online or explore giving options, visit dekalbccf.org/donate. To learn more about creating your own named fund or to discuss your charitable interests, contact Templin at 815-748-5383 or dan@dekalbccf.org.