Yola Carlough of Stowe, Vt., died peacefully with family and friends by her side at the McClure Miller Respite House on Saturday, November 22, 2025. Fiercely independent and strong, she fought hard with her University of Vermont medical team to beat an advanced cancer but was, finally, able to let go.
Yola was born on May 5, 1945, and grew up in New York, where she graduated from the Convent of the Sacred Heart and Manhattanville College in 1967. Yola worked as a child model at Harper’s Bazaar, in advertising, and owned and ran the Ten Acres Lodge in Stowe. A self-taught chef, she took on the executive chef role and garnered an impressive write-up in Gourmet magazine. Her greatest impact was as a pioneer in corporate social responsibility, at Ben & Jerry’s, Burt’s Bees and B-Lab, with a mission to elevate ethical standards in business. She ended her career as a consultant in fair trade and sustainability.
Yola served on several nonprofit boards, including NC Conservation Network, the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS), Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR), Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Texas and Up for Learning.
She was a passionate pianist, linguist, host, chef, creative, traveler, skier and a vicious Scrabble competitor. Her wit and humor were sharp yet kind, weird yet poignant, but perhaps best described by her beloved sister, Monika, as “pee your pants funny.”
Yola is survived by her brother, Marek Pyka, his wife, Debby Gale, and their son and her nephew, Matthew; and her nephews Peter and Gregory Dillon, their wives, Diane Dillon and Samantha Skey, and five grandnieces and -nephews, effectively her grandchildren. She is also survived by more great friendships, across regions and generations, than can be counted. All who were touched by her warmth and energy felt special and connected. She was predeceased by her father, William Pyka; her mother, Aida Pyka; her niece, Amanda Gale-Pyka; her sister, Monika Dillon, and husband Brian Dillon; and her uncle, Stas Pyka. A celebration of her life will be held in the spring, near a body of water, as she sailed and could not be pinned down. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Up for Learning in Waterbury, Vt.
This article appears in Nov 26 – Dec 2 2025.