Yin Isabel Alpaugh

Yin Isabel Sáez Alpaugh was born in Mayari, Oriente Cuba on October 6, 1938.   She was the daughter of Jose Manuel Sáez, a civil and electrical engineer, and Olga Fernández Sáez, a homemaker.  She grew up near the ocean, in Matanzas, Cuba.  There she enjoyed the close-knit life she shared with her parents, brother, aunts, cousins, extended family, neighbors and school friends.  She left her beloved Cuba to study at Barry College in Miami, Florida.

In 1960 she met and married Richard W. Alpaugh.  They honeymooned in Havana at the Hotel Riviera, which was nearly deserted due to the Cuban Revolution.  The couple settled in Old Bridge, New Jersey where Yin raised her children Richard, Charles, Enrique, and Isabel.  In 1987 when her husband retired from American Airlines, the family moved to Athens, Georgia.  Yin quickly grew to love Athens where she reunited with old friends and acquaintances from her childhood in Cuba.  With her warm outgoing personality, Yin quickly made many new and cherished friends here in Athens.  She was very active in the community, especially dedicating herself to organizations providing service and support to families and caregivers for children with disabilities.  Yin was dedicated to caring for her daughter, Isabel who has Down’s syndrome and found much support among her friends here in Athens.  From a very early age, Yin concerned herself with the welfare of the poor, undertaking charitable work through the Catholic Church in high school and then later in Old Bridge.  She loved all of her grandchildren very much and was especially excited by the latest addition to her family, her great-granddaughter, Lily Isabel.  Yin was also a very talented artist and painted for much of her life in oils and on ceramics.  She especially enjoyed fine china painting with her fellow artists and took her inspiration from the beautiful landscape of flowers that she loved so much here in Athens. All who knew her will miss her lively conversations, brimming with her curiosity, sharp intellect, and original humor.

She is survived by her three sons and daughter; Richard Alpaugh, Charles Alpaugh, Enrique Alpaugh, and Isabel Alpaugh, her brother; José Manuel Sáez, her seven grandchildren;  Joseph, Caitlin, Patricia Yin, Tyler, Paige, Jenny and Julie Alpaugh; and her great-granddaughter, Lily Isabel Alpaugh.

Memorial service to be held at St.Joseph's Catholic Church in Athens, Georgia on Thursday June the 16th at 2 pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Yin’s name to:  specialolympics.org or stjosephathens.com by selecting “online giving” in memory of Yin Isabel Alpaugh.

Lord & Stephens Funeral Homes, West, Watkinsville, GA is in charge of arrangements. www.lordandstephens.com