(From Clark Funeral Home)She loved us all so well, and we all were the better for her love. Phyllis Louise Lewis passed away on August 22, 2022, in her home in Neosho, MO, fiercely loved by family and friends both near and far.
Phyllis was born November 24, 1937, outside of Stella, Missouri, to parents Justin Owen Lewis Sr. and Grace Madeline (McNeill) Lewis. The eldest of 3 children, Phyllis was the one and only girl, often acting almost as a second mother and caring dearly for her two younger brothers, Justin Jr. and Robert. She attended primary school at Jay Bird in Neosho, MO, graduated from Neosho High School, and attended Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, earning her Bachelor of Arts in Education.
After graduation, Phyllis began what would be a long and successful career as a schoolteacher. She began teaching high school and transitioning to elementary until she eventually found her calling as a remedial reading educator; imbuing the experience of reading with possibility and joy to many who would not have had such an experience without her; that was part and parcel of who Phyllis was.
She lived and taught across the country in the early 60s, from Chicago, Illinois, to Long Beach, California, until coming back to the Ozarks in 1967, where she continued her teaching career in and around Neosho, including Stella and Anderson Elementary schools. She officially retired from teaching in July 1997 with special recognition from McDonald County School District for “31 years of exceptional and dedicated service”, but she also continued to teach part-time through 2003; for the love of it.
Family was held dear and a priority to Phyllis. She watched over her little brother J.O. (3 years her junior) throughout their childhood, and she was like a bit of a second mother to young Robert, born when she was nine years old. Both brothers looked up to their big sister with an admiration that lived on into their adult lives. She also tenderly cared for her parents, Justin and Grace, in their later years.
She had a passion for reading, history, and travel which she instilled in her nieces and nephews; taking them on road trips across the Ozarks, and Mid-west, including a trip to the site of the Battle of Pea Ridge that became a “must-do right of family passage.”
She became a bird lover and gardener in her retirement, turning the front and back yards of her sweet home on Walnut Street into a lush garden full of a plethora of Hosta’s and flowering vines that she tended to and enjoyed thoroughly. She also became quite the traveler in her later years, traveling with friends and family to destinations packed with history, including Boston, Nova Scotia, New York City, Seattle, Denver, and Chicago.
Phyllis was fiercely devoted to her family. She could always be relied on for a helping hand. She was tough and didn’t suffer shirkers; however, she believed that success was obtainable for anyone who worked for it. And she gave her heart freely and was generous to those who had earned her friendship and respect. Phyllis was dedicated to friends, church, and community. She would see it as a huge mistake if it was not mentioned that she held her friends Dana and Cheryl, the Methodist Women’s Society, and her P.E.O. Sisters close to her heart.
Phyllis is preceded in death by her parents Justin Owen Lewis Sr and Grace Madeline McNeill Lewis and her two younger brothers, Justin (J.O.) Owen Lewis Jr. and Robert (Bob) Delano Lewis, and her sister-in-law Brenda Lee Dionne Lewis (married to J.O).
Family was held dear and a priority to Phyllis. She watched over her little brother J.O. (3 years her junior) throughout their childhood, and she was like a bit of a second mother to young Robert, born when she was nine years old. Both brothers looked up to their big sister with an admiration that lived on into their adult lives. She also tenderly cared for her parents, Justin and Grace, in their later years.
She had a passion for reading, history, and travel which she instilled in her nieces and nephews; taking them on road trips across the Ozarks, and Mid-west, including a trip to the site of the Battle of Pea Ridge that became a “must-do right of family passage.”
She became a bird lover and gardener in her retirement, turning the front and back yards of her sweet home on Walnut Street into a lush garden full of a plethora of Hosta’s and flowering vines that she tended to and enjoyed thoroughly. She also became quite the traveler in her later years, traveling with friends and family to destinations packed with history, including Boston, Nova Scotia, New York City, Seattle, Denver, and Chicago.
Phyllis was fiercely devoted to her family. She could always be relied on for a helping hand. She was tough and didn’t suffer shirkers; however, she believed that success was obtainable for anyone who worked for it. And she gave her heart freely and was generous to those who had earned her friendship and respect. Phyllis was dedicated to friends, church, and community. She would see it as a huge mistake if it was not mentioned that she held her friends Dana and Cheryl, the Methodist Women’s Society, and her P.E.O. Sisters close to her heart.
Phyllis is preceded in death by her parents Justin Owen Lewis Sr and Grace Madeline McNeill Lewis and her two younger brothers, Justin (J.O.) Owen Lewis Jr. and Robert (Bob) Delano Lewis, and her sister-in-law Brenda Lee Dionne Lewis (married to J.O).
She leaves behind and will be greatly missed by her sister-in-law Lesbia (Lisa) Florez Lewis (married to Robert), her niece and nephews; Irina Marie Lewis (married to Marvin), Alex Christopher Lewis (married to Christine), Justin Owen Lewis III (married to Karma), Ian Arthur Lewis (married to Emily), and Anthony (Tony) Matthew Lewis (married to Stephanie). She leaves behind and will watch over her grand-nephews and nieces as well; Olivia Grace Lewis, Kaya Rae Lewis, Claire Alexandra Lewis, Joseph (Joey) Robert Lewis, Arianna Tiffany Lewis, Zachary James Lewis, Mila James Lewis, and Jackson Ray Lewis.
Our Dear Phyllis, we all thank you for the love, strength, and passionate dedication to the family you demonstrated and instilled in all you touched. We will forever be changed because you touched our lives. We love you. ~ Your Family.
Services in remembrance and celebration of Phyllis be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, September 2, 2022, at Neosho United Methodist Church, Christian Life Center location. Visitation will be held from 9: 00-10:00 a.m., followed by a procession and internment at Macedonia Cemetery in Stella, Missouri.
Our Dear Phyllis, we all thank you for the love, strength, and passionate dedication to the family you demonstrated and instilled in all you touched. We will forever be changed because you touched our lives. We love you. ~ Your Family.
Services in remembrance and celebration of Phyllis be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, September 2, 2022, at Neosho United Methodist Church, Christian Life Center location. Visitation will be held from 9: 00-10:00 a.m., followed by a procession and internment at Macedonia Cemetery in Stella, Missouri.
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