‘Miss Lovely’: Cafeteria worker killed at Fort Worth ISD school was always cheerful

Yolanda Gibbs, the 56-year-old cafeteria worker killed outside an elementary school in Forest Hill before classes started Oct. 11, was remembered at a vigil Thursday night by friends and family as a happy person who went out of her way to put others in a good mood.

Around 300 people showed up to share stories, hear others talk about her impacts on David K. Sellars Elementary and the community and release pink and blue balloons, chosen because those were her favorite colors.

Authorities in Forest Hill said Gibbs was shot and killed by 58-year-old Anthony Harris, who she was dating. Harris was found dead Oct. 13. on a public sidewalk in the 1200 block of East Rosedale Street, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s website. The manner and cause of his death has not been released.

But Thursday night’s vigil wasn’t about Gibbs’ death. It was about how she lived her life. Speakers shared details about her work at the school, like how she had a smile on her face, and wanted to make sure everyone she worked with did, too, no matter how hard the day was, or how she would randomly decide to buy cookies or ice cream for all the students.

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On Oct. 13, an ice cream truck came to the school to hand out free ice cream to students in her memory, because she used to do that.

Karen Buckley, a friend of Gibbs for more than 40 years, said she and Gibbs were like Laverne and Shirley. (Gibbs was Laverne, she said.) Buckley’s kids called Gibbs their aunt, and Gibbs’ children did the same with Buckley.

Buckley said Gibbs was the best organizer and the best cleaner she knew, but more impressive than that was her ability to find bargains and sales. She would even go out of her way to find things on sale she could give to other people, especially if she knew someone had a need.

Buckley told Gibbs’ family, especially her grandchildren, that they should work hard to remember who she was and how she acted and responded to situations. That way, any time they feel in need of guidance they can ask themselves what Gibbs would do and look at the answer as the advice she would give in that situation.

Mary Clay, a teacher at Sellars Elementary, said she hadn’t known Gibbs for long. But the short time she had to become acquainted was enough to know that Gibbs was always in a cheery mood. She recalled the first time she met Gibbs, she asked what her name was.

“You can call me Miss Lovely,” Clay remembers Gibbs telling her.

From that day on, Clay would tell her students to say hi to “Miss Lovely” whenever they went to lunch.

“She might be gone, but she is not forgotten because she is still alive in you,” Clay told the family.

Eric Paul, a local pastor and friend of Gibbs’ since they were in school together, said Gibbs had a servant’s heart.

“Her legacy is an inheritance she’s left to her family,” Paul said.

After speakers shared stories and Paul prayed for Gibbs’ family and everybody who knew her, the group released the pink and blue balloons. Most of them stuck around afterward to swap stories about Gibbs and catch up. In almost every instance someone shared a memory of Gibbs, it ended with laughter from everybody gathered around to hear it.