Phyllis C. Holmes

Phyllis Holmes peacefully departed this world surrounded by family on October 17th, 2016. She was born almost 97 years ago as the strains of ‘Joy to the World’ played on the hospital ward radio in Providence, Rhode Island. Her beloved mother Gladys lovingly shared the story of her Christmas joy with all who knew her. Phyllis "Phyll" grew up in Rhode Island with her mother and sister Mabel who both preceded her in passing by several decades.She was one of the first ‘modern women,’ becoming happily independent at an early age. She enjoyed working, driving her own car and spending long summers on the New England seashore with best friends before and during the WWII years. She met her future husband Weldon "Weldy" when they first played on their neighborhood street together as 3 years olds. Phyll quickly and forever became the apple of Weldy's eye. After much written correspondence and attempts at courtship with her during the war, Weldon returned stateside after a two-year internment in a German prison camp. He felt his lifelong dream come true when they promptly married after the war. Phyll was the consummate ‘Air Force Wife’ and shared his decades-long year career moving around the US and the world from Japan to Germany, hosting lively parties and making lifelong friends across continents. She kept the home fires warm raising their three children when he was off alone serving in Korea, Iceland, and Vietnam. Phyllis and Weldon spent the last four decades of their lives together in Treasure Island and St. Petersburg, Florida. Once her children had left home for college and marriage, Phyllis felt she could transition from the homemaker and return to work. She loved working as a bank teller for ten years before finally retiring along with her husband. Retirement brought travel adventures, endless hours with grandkids, and a much-loved dedication to volunteering together at the All Children's Hospital of St. Petersburg, where their mutual service was highly celebrated. When Weldon passed on after over 60 years of marriage, she continued to live independently in St. Petersburg with his sister Betty. Early this year, she moved to Oakmonte Village in Lake Mary, Florida to be close to her daughter and "favorite nurse" Janice. While at Oakmonte, she enjoyed many new friends, nostalgic live music at happy hour, and a new-found love of bingo. Right up to her passing, Phyllis was an impressively strong woman and an inspiration to her peers and family. At 96 years old she enjoyed the company of friends years younger than she, walked without assistance and amazed everyone with her company, elegance, bright blue eyes and smile. Over a lifetime, Phyll cherished capturing, printing and organizing photos of precious memories and the loved ones who created them. Her incredible photo album collection is one intriguing facet of a beautiful legacy. She is survived by her sons Paul and Mark, her daughter Janice, grandchildren Elizabeth, Johnathan, Erin and Kelly who all knew her as their beloved "Nanny," two great-grandchildren Abbey and Mason, her sister-in-law Betty, son-in-law and very dear friend Con, daughters-in-law Nancy and Sandy, son-in-law Mark, and her best friend for life, Gracie Donovan of Bristol, Rhode Island. A formal ceremony for Phyllis and Weldon's final internment will be held in the coming months at the beautiful Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. We offer our sincere condolences to Phyll's friends and relatives, who live on to treasure her memory always.