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Published in October 2025
Keyonia “Yonia ” Renee Harden passed away peacefully on October 17, 2025, with the love of her family surrounding her.
Born on November 4, 1989 in Boston, MA, Yonia would have celebrated her 36th birthday.
Yonia was a loved daughter, sister, granddaughter, great-granddaughter niece, cousin and friend. She is a beautiful soul who gave and received love unconditionally, blessed
us with her presence and changed our lives forever and for the better.
Diagnosed with Dravet syndrome and Autism at a early age, Yonia faced challenges during her lifetime that few could ever understand or experience. Despite that, Yonia
lived a full and meaningful life, hiking , traveling multiple times out of the country, flights to Florida, and extensive road trips to various states.
Yonia graduated 2011 from West Roxbury High School – Brooke Farm Academy, then transitioned to the May Institute in Randolph , MA. There she is happily engaged by a
wonderful team of Developmental Specialist, support staff, and therapists who devoted their energy, time and talents to making sure that Yonia’s days were fun, full and purposeful.
Yonia was courageous, resilient, intuitive, strong and accepting. She possessed the innocence of a child combined with the temperament of an old soul. She found pleasure
in simple things like watching Wheel of Fortune, swings, and strings of all things. She would go anywhere in the car, and especially loved going to stores, pushing shopping
carts placing items on the conveyor belts.
She loved sitting quietly and taking in the conversations around her. We often joked that Yonia knew all of our family secrets, and should she ever start talking someday, we’d all be in trouble.
Even though she couldn’t express her feelings completely, she definitely had some very good “choice” words, she had an amazing ability to show love, with a great memory of people. Yonia is our greatest challenge and greatest teacher. We believe that we will carry with us not only the beautiful memories of our time, but all she taught us. To appreciate the small and simple things. That you can survive, and even thrive, in the face of hardship. That family is the most important thing. That you will find love and
support in the most unexpected of places, whether it be from a cherished friend or someone you have never met.
If we could sum up Yonia’s life in one line, it would be that “she only knew love.”
Yonia is survived by a large host of family and friends that will forever miss her.