Phyllis Jean Hellier

Phyllis Hellier, 93 years young, peacefully signed off on a well lived life on November 30, surrounded by the family she loved. Phyllis was born in Rittman, Ohio to Mamie and Noah Ellis. She was the older sister of Patty Percival, her best friend and partner in crime. She is predeceased by her handsome husband, Russell Hellier, sister, Patty Percival, and parents, Mamie and Noah Ellis.

Phyllis married her husband, Russ, and had a life of adventure. Russ’s jobs took them around the country and overseas, living for 4 years in the Azores islands. In her early years Phyllis enjoyed playing golf, bowling and raising her young family. She was athletic and always creative, sewing her daughter’s clothes which were the envy of their friends.

In her early 50s she attended Alabama A&M to take art classes and began a late career as a visual artist, which was later to be her life’s focus. It was a great life lesson to her children that you can remake yourself at any age.

After raising her family and into retirement, she and her husband, Russ, sold nearly everything, bought a sailboat and lived on the boat for three years before settling back on land. She often said that she wouldn’t trade the experience for anything but wouldn’t do it again. Her harrowing stories of danger on the high seas made for good family stories.

After moving to Port Charlotte, Florida she formed the Moss Art Gallery with fellow artists. She painted from her imagination with autobiographical themes and her art was recognized through 10 publications and many state and national awards. She loved her fellow artists in Florida and spoke to them until nearly the day of her death. In 1990 she was honored with a one woman art show at the World Trade Center in New Orleans and continued to paint into her early nineties.

Phyllis loved to travel and cruise ships were her favorite way to get there. She loved the entertainment and had the midas touch in the casino, sometimes winning enough for the next cruise. She saw the world with her husband Russ and her children, travelling to Alaska, the Caribbean, and several times to Europe. She especially loved her trip to England with her daughter, Barbara, to see her granddaughter’s husband’s family outside of Liverpool.

Phyllis was always engaged with life, even into her nineties, reading novels, scratching off Lotto tickets with grandchildren, beating everyone at Words with Friends, avidly watching the stock market and having an occasional lunch with 99 year old friend, Dot. She never shied away from good competition and was “the one to beat” at Scrabble. She was fearless and to our glee, danced on a Las Vegas stage when pulled up by the lounge singer. We will always remember her “crowning” by Ashley and Tim as Lady of the Manor on her 90th birthday and her laughter at our recent pickle party. She knew how to be in the moment. She was the family “glue”.

She leaves decades of memories to her three children, Lynn, Bill and Barbara, her six grandchildren, Jeff, Nathan, Kristin, Ashley, David and Noah and to her four greatgrandchildren, Baxter, Thomas, Jonah and Alex. We are so grateful to have known her and will miss her terribly.

Phyllis was a generous and charitable person. In lieu of flowers consider a donation to Haiti Mission, Inc (www.haitimission.org) or to Florida Watercolor Society (www.floridawatercolorsociety.org) in her name.