Yvonne Elizabeth (Rink) Wildanger, 80, of Lake Ridge, Virginia, died Oct. 30, 2025, at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center after a long illness. Yvonne was a graduate of Red Bank Catholic and the Asbury Park Business College. She also undertook studies at Brookdale Community College and Northern VA Community College.
She began her government career on Fort Monmouth and later transferred to the Office of Industrial Operations & Procurement Directorate on Fort Belvoir in Virginia, to be with her husband. There she worked as a contracting officer representative (COR). She later advanced to the Pentagon, taking on budget analyst, procurement and program responsibilities.
Yvonne finessed and organized candidates, locations and assessment teams in support of the Army Community of Excellence. She was also active in the Army Demolition/Reclamation of World War II structures. She also managed the Virginia/D.C. transportation and greeting aspects of the 2008 Army Birthday Ceremony and Formal Ball. On 9/11, she was working in the vicinity of the Pentagon plane crash and lost several dear friends.
Yvonne loved singing (soprano) in the SEAS and later in Lake Ridge Choral, with performances at the Vatican, the Pentagon, and the Kennedy Center (Christmas). She also enjoyed/excelled in making Christmas wreaths and brooms, decorating them with her bow-making talent. She loved taking cruises with her husband to the Caribbean and Canada, and enjoyed visiting friends and relatives in different parts of the United States.
Yvonne was preceded in death by her parents, Helen and James Rink; her sister, Bernadette Sudcliffe; her beloved Sammy Boy; and Maxwell.
She is survived by her husband of 40 years, Denis Wildanger.
The article originally appeared in the December 4 – 10, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
