Phyllis died in her sleep at home in Markdale on Monday January 11, 2010.

Phyllis began her ministry as secretary to the bishop of Niagara in the late 1940’s. In 1951 she graduated from the Anglican Women’s Training College in Toronto and was posted as a Woman’s Auxiliary Missioner to be the Regional Youth Supervisor in the dioceses of Edmonton, Qu’Appelle and Saskatchewan. In the mid 1950’s she received her S. Th. and became the Field Secretary for the Toronto Diocesan Women’s Auxiliary and was the Candidates’ Secretary of the Diocesan W.A. Executive. In the 1960’s she was the Assistant Director of the Christian-Jewish Dialogue Program, Diocese of Toronto. Phyllis then became the Executive Director of the Downtown Church Workers’ Association for the Diocese of Toronto and was Director of Moorelands Camp. From there she was the Staff Associate (Director of Christian Education) for the Cooksville United Church in Mississauga. Phyllis was ordained to the diaconate in the Diocese of Huron in 2003 and was appointed Deacon with special responsibility for outreach ministry at Christ Church, Markdale.

She is predeceased by her husband Glenn, who was a United Church Minister and was the Archivist-Historian for the United Church of Canada and Victoria University in Toronto. She is survived by their son, Shaun, daughter in law Tara and three grandchildren.