Obituary of Yan Ping Mao

In Memory of

Yan (Yannie) Ping Mao

December 28, 1958 – October 24, 2023

Some people come into

our lives and quickly go.

Some stay for awhile

and leave footprints on our hearts –

and we are never ever the same.

                                                                                                             ~ Anonymous

Yannie was born in Shanghai, China to loving parents who were both educators. Her Mother was a teacher in Catholic schools and Father was head of the languages department at a number of universities in the area. Yan’s parents recognized at a young age that she had superior athletic ability giving her the options in her early teens to work at a factory or go to a sports academy. She excelled at all endeavors eventually getting a degree from Fudan University in library science while being a volleyball star. Next she played professionally on the Shanghai Women’s Volleyball team. Upon completion of her professional sports career she immigrated to Sydney, Australia and vowed she never wanted to exercise again.

In Sydney Yannie worked at a number of jobs with her favorites being librarian, check out chicky/clerk settling into a main cage banker at Star City Casino for many years. It was Sydney where she met and married her beloved husband Jim Peterson who was working there temporarily and checked off enough of the boxes for her. She moved to the US with Jim even though she hated to leave her family and friends in Sydney. Transitioning to life in a new country was challenging yet successful starting a new career as a bank teller settling into being a mortgage loan officer. She loved helping families buy the house of their dreams.

Yannie was an energetic and elegant woman with a lively spirit. She loved life and wanted to get the most out of it. Red was her favorite color. Yannie was extremely family oriented - family meant the world to her, and she always supported and loved her family. She may look tough on the outside but she had a soft and gentle heart on the inside. Yannie loved learning and striving for bigger and better things. She was an achiever. She loved to laugh and always had a quick quip at the ready. When asked what would she do if she could do life again, she said she would train to become a world famous concert pianist - playing beautiful music and performing around the world.

Yan is survived by her husband Jim, brother James, sister Kathryn, Nephews Jack and Kevin and niece Chanele.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in her name to Concordia Lutheran Church.