Phyllis Viola Stuart

Phyllis and her family moved to Seattle, Washington after World War II. She was 5 years old. She was so excited to take the train over to Seattle; this was her first big trip. It took them three days to get here. As she grew up, she attended Madison Middle School in West Seattle and Lincoln High in Seattle.

Phyllis met and married James Edward Stuart in 1947. Interestingly enough, they both had the same last name, but Jim’s was spelled “S-t-u-a-r-t” and Phyllis’ maiden name was spelled “S-t-e-w-a-r-t”. Jim was the nephew of a neighbor and he caught her eye when he came home from the navy. She couldn’t help but notice the handsome young man in his Navy uniform. They were married for sixty years. Their first-born son, Jimmy, was born on the exact same date as her husband. Because they were both born on January 7th, it was inevitable that they would name their first-born son James Stuart Jr.

Phyllis is survived by her four children: James Stuart Jr. (wife Vivian Stuart), Marilyn Viau, Sharon Stuart-Smith and Glenn Stuart.

Phyllis has five grandchildren: Dane Kolbeck (preceded in death in 2013), Jennifer Cahoon, Stacy Stuart, Megan Smith and Hannah Stuart.

Phyllis has six great-grandchildren: Andrea Melegrito (husband Renz Melegrito), Ashlyn Cahoon, Tarren Cahoon, Kade Anderson, Kira Johnson and Everett Johnson.

Phyllis was always a hard worker. If she found time, she would do volunteer work, help out at Salmon Bay Eagles and assist with the Ballard Girls Drill Team when her two daughters were on the team. Later, she went on to help out with the Highlanders Drill Team when her great granddaughter, Andrea, was Captain. Along with her husband, they supported both of their sons in motorcycle racing, taking them as far as Sturgis, South Dakota to race.

Phyllis and Jim also enjoyed competing in bowling tournaments. This took them across the country for various competitions; she has mentioned that she has visited upwards of 25-26 out of the 50 states in the US. One of her favorite places to visit was the San Antonio River Walk; she highly recommends that everyone try to visit there if they ever get a chance!

Phyllis worked a variety of jobs in her life. She worked as a nurse’s aide when she was young, Eddie Bauer and she even drove cabs with her husband for a while. Phyllis worked for Ivar’s for forty years, starting at The Captains Table in downtown Seattle. She was one of the best waitresses they had. She often received tips of upwards of $100 when it was close to the holidays. Phyllis even became good friends with Ivar and his wife, Opal.

She especially enjoyed working with her boss, Walt, at Ivar’s. One of her favorite memories of working with Walt was when her husband Jim called her at work to tell her he got tickets to go see the horse races. She told Walt that she was upset she couldn’t go, and he told her she could leave work early, but only if they bet on a horse for him too. When she retired from there, she got a lifetime discount card. She was so proud of that card and needless to say, we’ve all had a lot of lunches with her at Ivar’s. She was so popular that her picture can even be seen in the Ivar’s restaurant in Edmonds.

Phyllis was a devoted Seahawks fan. Her love for football stems way back to high school. Her father was very strict, but he always allowed her to go to high school football games. Jim and Phyllis were one of the very first season ticket holders of the Seahawks when the team was formed back in the 1970s. They paid $400 to secure seats at the 45-yard line. They held these seats for 25 years, until 2004!

Later on, she went to work as a mobility aide for Shoreline School District working with handicap kids on buses. She worked there from October 1987 – August 2001. After August of 2001, she decided to step down and work as a substitute aide until 2004. Even as she approached 90, she still wanted to work. Her final job, up until her passing, was being the keyholder at her apartment complex. She would lock all the doors in the evening and assist others if they locked themselves out of the building. She took great pride in her work and never wanted to sit still.

Phyllis is known for her heart of gold and being a social butterfly. In fact, Phyllis loves butterflies, which is very fitting. Most of Phyllis’ shirts and jewelry had some sort of butterfly pattern on them. When you see a butterfly in passing, think of Phyllis and all of the connections she has made and how she has brought us all together. She became friends with just about everyone she met; her smile and laughter will be missed.

A memorial service will be held in her honor on Saturday December 21, 2019 at 2:00pm in the Evergreen Washelli Tribute Center, 11111 Aurora Ave N, Seattle, WA 98133 with a reception to follow.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Evergreen-Washelli.com for the Stuart family.