Phyllis A Badenhope

Phyllis Adare (Utz) Badenhope died on August 6, 2016 at Kaiser Hospital in Redwood City, California. She was 85. Phyllis was a teacher and school administrator who grew up and studied in and near St. Joseph, MO; worked and earned a master’s degree in education in Arizona; taught overseas for seven years in Japan, Germany, and Spain; then spent over 40 years in San Diego, CA where she managed children’s centers, raised a son, and retired to enjoy bridge, reading, and travel. She was known for her kind and gentle nature, patience, and good humor, especially with young children. Phyllis was born in Highland, KS on June 20, 1931 to William “Millard” Utz and Georgia May(Spencer) Utz. She grew up in the farming community of St. Joseph (St. Joe) and graduated from Benton High School there in 1948. She then earned an associate’s degree in education from St. Joseph Junior College and started teaching. Expecting a bachelor’s degree would soon be required to teach, she and her friend Joyce (Sherman) Comfort earned one from Northwest Missouri State, taking evening and summer classes to finish early. Phyllis taught at American military bases overseas for seven years, from 1961-1968. She taught one year in Japan, one year in Okinawa, two years in Germany, and three years in Spain. She then returned to the states and moved to San Diego. In San Diego she met and married John Gibbard Badenhope in 1969. They had a son, Jay Spencer Badenhope, in 1972. They divorced in 1980. Phyllis shared with Jay her interest in other countries and cultures, keeping a home with art and furniture from her travels. She also ensured he had a good education, placing him at the math/computer/science magnet school Gompers Secondary for grades 7-12. Phyllis worked for over 30 years for the San Diego Unified School District, mostly as a child center administrator. Her 1992 retirement party at a park in Mission Bay was well attended. During retirement she kept active, especially with bridge, reading, visiting with neighbors, gardening, and occasional travel. She spent the last year or so of her life in the San Francisco bay area to be closer to her son’s family. Phyllis was preceded by her parents and her brother, William “Billy” Millard Utz, Jr. She is survived by her son Jay, her daughter-in-law Virginia Tsai Badenhope, and her grandchildren Georgia Tsai Badenhope and Leo Tsai Badenhope. A celebration of her life was held on August 18, 2016 at her final resting place, the San Francisco Columbarium. People wishing to honor the memory of Phyllis Badenhope are invited to donate in her name to one of her favorite charities, Heifer International (heifer.org).