Yahee Fernandes-Baxter, who starred in ABC daytime soap opera The Edge of Night from 1978 to 1982, died on March 30 at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit after a brief battle with a rare cancer.Yahee was born in Wareham, Massachusetts, the fifth of ten daughters of Arthur and Rose Fernandes. In 1969, she earned an Associate of Arts degree in Theatre and Voice, from Colby Junior College (now Colby-Sawyer College). She then matriculated to Dartmouth College as one of the first 70 women admitted. While at Dartmouth, Yahee was the first female, African-American cheerleader and first woman to pledge a fraternity, Phoenix. When her area of study was discontinued, she transferred to Smith College where, in 1972, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Voice. Yahee later changed her major to English and Education and in 1973, Smith, granted her a Master of Arts in Teaching.
Show business was Yahee's vocational calling, and she moved to New York City to pursue her craft. She became an Entertainer – singing, dancing, and acting – and a member of all the performers unions – Screen Actors Guild (SAG), American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), and Actors Equity Association (AEA).