Phyllis Brown was born in Wichita, Kansas, on November 9, 1927, to Grace Hurley Hellar and Fredrick Thomas Hellar. She was the third of their four daughters. When Phyllis was fourteen, her father died and her mother moved their family to Oklahoma City. Phyllis attended Classen High School where she was a member of the BVG Sorority. After graduation she went to OU where she was a member of Tri Delta Sorority. She and her more daring girlfriends formed the “B & E Club” where they enjoyed beer and enchiladas at The Mont, actually sitting at the bar! She married Russell Brown on June 2, 1948. They had four children. “Russ and Phyl” were married for 66 years until his death in 2014.
Phyllis was dearly loved by everyone who knew her. She was a good listener, had the patience of a saint, had a beautiful smile, a generous spirit, a great sense of humor, and always a positive attitude. She lived her life humming and singing and after being diagnosed with dementia said “I only remember the good things.” Phyllis was a faithful member of All Souls Episcopal Church for many years. She was involved in Altar Guild, was a charter member of Stephen Ministry, cooked for Mobile Meals and was a member of St. Anne’s Guild and the ECW. An avid game player (who liked to win) she loved playing Mah Johng and Bridge with her best buddies. Phyllis was a member of the Niner’s Ladies’ Golf Group at Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club in which she held several leadership positions and loved composing and choreographing songs for the “Nerdie Birdies”. She was a Linda Tarpley’s Tapper and wowed her grandchildren when she danced to “Tequila” at The OKC Arts Festival. Phyllis was also a member of Book, Garden and Sewing Clubs and the Tri Delta Golden Circle. She was an avid OU and Thunder fan!
Phyllis is survived by three of her children: her daughter Becky and husband CD Lawson (OKC), son Rusty Brown and his wife Sarah (Denver, CO), daughter Terri and husband Troy Benear (OKC), and son-in-law Paul Yarsa (Bartlesville). Gaga is also survived by 11 grandchildren: Stacy (Bratcher) & husband Chris Dykstra, Chris Bratcher and wife Jami, Kerri (Lawson)and husband Steve Stroesser, Reagan Bratcher, Josh Lawson and wife Jayme, Lyndsey (Lawson) and husband Ryan Phillips, Natalie (Brown) and husband Teddy Seifert, Georgia (Brown) and husband David Elbot, Alix Benear, Kate Benear, and Olivia Brown. Also 13 great- grandchildren: Jessica (Bratcher) and husband Levi Silcott; Amanda, Kami, Mallori and Halli Bratcher; Larkin and Caroline Dykstra; Veronica and Madeline Johnson; Karter Lawson; and Easton, Brooklyn and Charli Phillips; and three great-great-grandchildren: Barrett, Colt, and Kimber Silcott; her brother-in-law Dean Stahr, as well as many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Russell, her daughter Debby Yarsa (who died on July 12, 2016), her sister Peggy and brother-in-law Kenneth Ihrig, her sister Pat Stahr, and her sister Freddy and brother-in-law Burl Autrey, and many dear friends.
The family would like to express their most heart-felt thanks to Phyllis’s long time care givers, Candy, Chae, and Felicia, as well as the staff at the Mansion at Waterford and the staff at Storey Oaks Memory Care, and more recently the nurses and doctors at Integris Baptist Hospital and Integris Hospice House, and our rock, Father Patrick Bright and the clergy of All Souls.
A Memorial Service will be held at All Souls’ Episcopal Church on Friday, July 20th at 4pm. A reception will follow the service at Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to All Souls Episcopal Church, Alzheimer’s Association, or the charity of your choice.
