On September 28, 2026, a beautiful light moved on to the next plane. 

Yomi Rene Alton was a light that brightened every space she entered. Her smile was endless, her heart was big, and she had an extraordinary way of bringing people together. 

Yomi was born September 10, 1979, to Robin and David Alton. She was their fourth child and their baby, growing up alongside her older siblings Adele, Joseph, Daniel and Shaunna. Later in life, her family grew when she gained additional siblings—Elizabeth, Brandie, Jammie, Kim, Nicole and Travis—adding even more branches to a family already deeply rooted in love.

Yomi came from a big family—the kind that loves deeply, shows up, gathers together and carries one another through both celebrations and difficult days. Her aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews were all part of that circle. And for Yomi, family was never limited to a family tree. Friends became family, and the people she loved became part of her world. 

From an early age, Yomi was energetic, determined and fearless. She was a member of the first competitive team at Ozark Mountain Gymnastics and placed second in state during her very first year of competition. What began as her own love for gymnastics eventually became a career and another way for Yomi to pour herself into others. 

Coach Yomi had an incredible rapport with her gymnasts. She took gymnastics and cheer directly to children through her mobile gym, visiting daycares and sharing her enthusiasm wherever she went. Over the years, thousands of young people had the opportunity to experience what her family affectionately calls “the Yomi experience”—her encouragement, energy, laughter and unmistakable ability to make people feel special. 

But there was never just one version of Yomi. 

She was a photographer who loved capturing life through her own creative eye. She worked in real estate with the family business. She loved theater and was part of Thriller on C-Street for 14 years. She loved karaoke and music and even had a band called YOMI. She was creative, adventurous, and a humanitarian at heart. She loved crafts and especially loved creating things with her children, nieces, and nephews. 

Yomi loved an adventure. She loved traveling, river floating and kayaking. And she especially loved the beach. Yomi said the beach was her safe place. There was something about the water, the freedom and the peace that felt like home to her. 

Above everything else, Yomi loved her people. 

She had a gift for bringing people together. Friends became family, family continued to grow, and there always seemed to be room for one more person in Yomi’s circle. She was loved and supported by an extraordinary community of family and friends throughout her life. 

Yomi also found love, connection, and strength within her spiritual community. It was another place where she could be fully herself—openhearted, curious, loving and connected to something greater. That community walked alongside Yomi and her family with love, prayer, presence, and support throughout her journey. 

Yomi was open about her journey with ovarian cancer. She shared the difficult days as well as the hopeful ones, allowing others to walk alongside her. Even when she was in pain, she found reasons to be happy. She continued to smile, laugh, create memories, and love the people around her. 

Cancer became part of Yomi’s story, but it was never the whole of her story. 

Her life was so much bigger. 

At the heart of that life were her three children, Ella Alton, Avery Katz and Zavier Alton. Being their mother was one of the greatest and most enduring parts of who Yomi was. The love she poured into them—and the pieces of herself that live within each of them—will continue her story for generations. 

Preceded in death by her nephew Damien Hastings. 

Yomi is survived by her parents, Robin and David Alton; her children, Ella Alton, Avery Katz and Zavier Alton, all of Springfield; her foster daughter, Mikayla Rae of Springfield; her siblings, Adele Alton of Strafford, Joseph Alton of California and Daniel Alton of Springfield; her half-sister, Shaunna Foulks of Independence; and the siblings she gained later in life, Elizabeth Schroeder of Springfield, Brandie Phillips of Springfield, Jammie Watson of Tennessee, Kim Evans of Springfield, Nicole Hastings of Springfield and Travis Hilburn of Springfield. 

She also leaves behind a large and deeply connected extended family of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins, along with a remarkable circle of friends, her spiritual community, former gymnasts and families, and countless others whose lives became intertwined with hers. 

There are simply too many people who loved Yomi—and whom Yomi loved—to capture them all in a list. 

She built a family wherever she went. 

Her family has always been one that comes together, and they came together around Yomi with tremendous love. Her friends and community did the same. She was surrounded, supported, and held in love throughout her journey. 

Perhaps that is one of the most beautiful parts of Yomi’s legacy: 

The woman who spent her life bringing people together continues to bring people together now. 

Yomi’s light did not end on September 28. 

It continues in Ella, Avery, and Zavier. It continues in her parents, siblings and enormous family. It continues in the children she coached, the photographs she captured, the adventures she took, the songs she sang, the laughter she shared, the memories she created and every person fortunate enough to experience a little bit of Yomi. 

And somewhere in all of that love, there will always be the water, the beach and the place where Yomi felt most at peace. 

A beautiful light doesn’t disappear. 

It simply shines differently. 💛