Born in Saskatchewan, Canada on September 2, 1927, the family moved to farm in Kossuth County, Iowa when Phyllis was 7 years old. She grew up attending a one-room country school and, determined to go to college, her parents moved to Ames, Iowa so that she could attend Iowa State. She married soon after graduation and moved to Orange, Texas where her husband had taken a job with DuPont. Although not a native Texan, Phyllis quickly became a proud Texan.
Phyllis raised five children and made it look easy. Hard times came when she became a single mother in 1972. She pulled up her bootstraps and got a job teaching homemaking until retirement, supporting her children through life’s challenges and joys. She was a fabulous grandmother, hosting “Cousins Camp” for a week each summer.
Phyllis loved playing bridge and became a Life Master in 1988. She treasured the friends she made especially her bridge partner, Loretta Gary. Phyllis had a wonderful sense of humor, was a voracious reader, and at the end of her life she played Parcheesi, dominoes, and backgammon, delighting in trouncing her opponents.
After 73 years in Texas, she moved in with her daughter and granddaughter in Orlando, Florida. Phyllis passed away on February 9, 2025, surrounded by loved ones. Phyllis was preceded in death by her infant daughter, Margaret Ellen Ryan, her parents and one sister, Carol Jensen. She is survived by her children, Kathleen Ryan McLaurin, Patrick Ryan (Stacey), Michael Ryan, Tim Ryan, and Sheila Ryan (Dave Sipowicz), her grandchildren Sarah McLaurin, Ann McLaurin Reinert (Wesley), Ryan McLaurin (Lindsay), Sean Ryan (Ashley), Kevin Ryan, Kyle Ryan, Shelby Reed (Josh), Alex White, Kenny Austin (Deborah Austin), Steven Ryan, Heather Ryan, Megan Philyan (Jun), Kathleen Diaz, Dylan Marez, and 10 great-granchildren. She is also survived by her sisters, Marion Knoll of Algona, Iowa, and Grace Chosy of Madison, Wisconsin, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 on March 29, 2025 at Claybar Funeral Home in Orange, Texas. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to Shangri La Botanical Gardens where Phyllis volunteered for many years.
Social Media