Phyllis Sevin

Phyllis Robinovitz Sevin passed away at 9:15 pm on Monday, May 18, 2026, of congestive heart failure at the age of 89. Born and raised in Cleveland, Phyllis spent her professional life as an educator in the Wickliffe school system’s elementary and middle school. For 34 years she taught 3rd grade, 4th grade, art, computers and science. She loved seeing the lightbulb go on in students’ faces. Mrs. Sevin was a creative teacher --- she once took a class on an archeological dig, and the students loved exploring the past, as well as digging in the dirt. She was particularly touched by several students who, when graduating high school, wrote telling her that she had an enormous impact on their lives.

Phyllis went to Heights High then to The Ohio State University where she got a BS (1958), she added an MA in Education (1982) from Cleveland State University. She never stopped learning --- she was an avid reader of newspapers and books, enjoyed traveling, and watching PBS and taking occasional adult learning classes, especially silversmithing – which skills she developed over 10 years at the Lakeland Community College. Mrs. Sevin was a dedicated duplicate bridge player, made jewelry, had seats for the Cleveland Symphony and other cultural events. A member of B’nai Jeshurun, Mrs. Sevin was proud of her faith. In later years, she kept active, physically and mentally, and enjoyed spending quality time with her friends and family.

Married in 1956 to Dr. Phillip Lopate, together they welcomed Cliff (1960), Glenn (1961) and Cheryl (1962) to their family. When asked if she had thought through having so many young kids all at once, she said “I wanted to get the diaper duty over and done with.” When Glenn and Robin Furrer Lopate added grandson Sam to the mix, she managed to mostly avoid changing diapers.

Mrs Sevin and Dr. Lopate divorced in 1979 and in 1994 she remarried. Dr. Eugene Sevin --- Project Engineer for the Department of Defense ---he brought Lori, Lynn and Lisa into the family. Lori (William Gunther) added grandson Eli, and Lynn (Bernard Bossart) added Celine and Sophie to the family.

Mrs. Sevin was a proud matriarch --- spending time with her children and grandchildren. She is survived by Clifford Lopate and Beth D. Davidson; Glenn and Robin Lopate; Sam Lopate and Nathalya Leite; Cheryl Lopate; Lori and Bill Gunter, Eli Gunter; Lynn Bossart, Celine Bossart and Sophie Bossart, and Lisa Sevin. Phyllis was pre-deceased by her sister Sandra Suter and her second husband Eugene Sevin.

She lives on in the lives of those who she touched and will be greatly missed by friends and family.

Funeral and interment services will be held on Thursday, May 21st at 1:00pm at Chesterland Memorial Park, 11521 Chillicothe Road, Chesterland, OH.

Donations in her memory may be made to the charity of your choice or to one of her favorites, the ACLU. Often as one of the few Jewish teachers in the Wickliffe school, she was a tireless advocate for the separation of church and state in the public school system.