Roll Call Tribute

Albert L. "Al" Yantis, Jr., Lt.Col. USAF (Ret) 

December 2, 1936 - June 10, 2024 

Al Yantis, 87, devoted husband, amazing father of four girls, loving grandpa and great-grandpa entered our Lord's loving arms on June 10, 2024 at the Northwest Veterans Home in Bossier City, LA, after a long battle with Alzheimer's.

Visitation will be held Sunday, June 16, 2024 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm at Hill Crest Memorial Funeral Home. The Celebration of Life will be held at Asbury UMC, Bossier City at 11:00 am on Monday, June 17th. Interment with military honors will follow at Hill Crest Memorial Park.

Al was born on December 2, 1936 in Kilgore, TX to Janice Slaughter Yantis and Albert Lapsley Yantis, Sr. He attended Galena Park High School in Houston, TX, where he was a Lone Star Boys State delegate, a member of the A Capella Choir, and a Head Cheerleader. He entered Texas A&M University and joined the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets in 1955. He married Shirley Jean December 1957. In May 1959, he graduated from Texas A&M, and continued in the Air Force until his retirement in 1979. Over these 20 years, he served his country with pride, flying on B52's as an electronic warfare officer.

After retirement, he became very active in the Shreveport/Bossier Optimist Club and the Military Officer Association serving as a board member and many other capacities. He loved being supportive of the youth in our area and implemented the first Teacher Grant program which earned him a key to the city, and March 21, 2017 was proclaimed Al Yantis Day. He and his lifelong friend Phil Blaufuss opened Compco Computers where he shared his love of computers and loved being an entrepreneur. in his spare time he loved fishing, playing racquetball at the Downtown Y with John D. Caruthers, and watching the B52's fly over his nearby home in Bossier City. He cared for his loving wife Shirley during her battle with ovarian cancer, and wrote a book about the experience, We Died of Cancer, and wrote a song, If Only. He loved spending time with his grandkids, building a treehouse for them in his backyard, going to Cobb's BBQ, going to Aggie games, and making countless memories. In 2009, he married his wife Gloria, who gave him so much joy, and they enjoyed travelling, going to Aggie games, and serenading each other.

Our Daddy was truly larger than life and very charismatic. Daddy never met a stranger and treated everyone with kindness and respect. He loved his dogs, being in his garden, sitting outside listening to the birds chirp, but most of all he loved being with family. He instilled the love of music and dance in his daughters and grandchildren. His sense of humor, huge heart, storytelling and his favorite songs will live in our hearts forever. He was a true Aggie until the end. He was the cornerstone of our family and will be missed beyond words.

He is preceded in death by his parents and his loving wife of 44 years, Shirley Jean Rich Yantis. Left to cherish his memory are his beloved wife of 15 years, Gloria Jean Schouest Yantis; sister Margaret Tyner and four daughters who loved him more than life, Shari Korthuis (Ron), Kimberly Farris (Ken), Wendy Vickrey (Stan), and Michelle Rolfe (George); stepson Shane Schouest (Heather); and his adopted son Ricky Bunnery; grandchildren, Alaina Boyett, Jacob Boyett (Lorien), James Boyett, Jordan Farris, Joshua Farris, Will Rolfe (Emily) and Garrett Rolfe (Maddie); step grandchildren Erin Christ (Matt), Kenny Farris (Erica), Kyle Farris (Christina), Dusty Johnson (Shauna), Austin Vickrey (Jessica), Caleb and Connor Schouest; three great grandchildren, Jiraiya, Freya, and Raven; and 8 step great grandchildren, and special lifelong friend Joan Strickland and second daughters, Jamie, Julie, and Janet.

Honoring Al as pallbearers are his grandsons, Jacob Boyett, James Boyett, Josh Farris, Will Rolfe, Garrett Rolfe and his adopted son Ricky Bunnery.

A special thanks goes to the Northwest Louisiana War Veterans Home, especially nurses Rhonda Johnson, Robin Watkins and Janet Harris and several other nurses and CNA's, too many to list, you know who you are, and his special sitter, Lynette Vealls.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Alzheimer's Foundation of America, Asbury United Methodist Church, American Cancer Society or the Bossier City Optimist Club.

"Fill my heart with song and let me sing forever more" - Frank Sinatra