Phyllis May Bennett

Phyllis was born at home on the family farm in West Union, Illinois on May 18, 1930, to Harry Eugene Wright and Esther Wright. She graduated from Marshall High School in 1948. She attended the University of Illinois, where she earned a music teaching certificate. She married James Bennett on April 29, 1951, in West Union. Years after Jim’s passing, Phyllis married Eugene “Lee” Shultz on March 5, 2013. Phyllis was a member of Calvary Baptist Church of Denver.

Phyllis worked as an assistant to Dr. George Mitchell, the family doctor, in Marshall for several years.

Phyllis was an accomplished pianist and organist. She started taking piano lessons when she was 5 and was playing at church by the time she was 9. She also played violin for several years, but her true passion was piano and organ. Phyllis taught individual and group piano and from their home in Marshall for years. She had two pianos in the basement, and a piano and organ in their living room. She also taught piano and organ at Paige’s Music, and the Conservatory of Music in Terre Haute, Indiana. Several of her students participated in and won national contests. She taught until she and Jim moved to Colorado in 1983.

Phyllis and Jim were original owners at the Seville residences in Heather Gardens. They kept busy there by delivering 270 copies of the Rocky Mountain News in and around Heather Gardens at 2:00am. They also began catering meals in the community, with no professional experience as cooks, but learned by preparing meals for a large family and at their church. One of their toughest catering events was at a church dinner where they served Cornish hens to 350 guests!

Phyllis was also a popular babysitter (night nanny) for many years to many prominent families in the Denver area. She became the nanny to Neil (former President Bush’s son) and Sharon Bush’s children, and she and Jim became close to Neil and Sharon. They were known as the “Denver grandparents”. They were frequent visitors to the White House during George H.W. Bush’s presidency, and were guests on the second and third floors, where the first family lived.

Phyllis was a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and was the historian in the family, tracing the Wright family ancestors back to Charlemagne in 742, an accomplishment for which she was very proud. She loved showing the family tree, which she had professionally printed and framed, to anyone she knew.

Phyllis bought a walk-in tub from Bentley Baths for their home in Heather Gardens in 2006, and she became a spokesperson for the company soon after. She was featured in many print ads and acted in their television commercials with many people asking “Was that really Phyllis Bennett in that commercial?”.

Phyllis was very interested in the stock market and investing. She started an all-women investment club at Heather Gardens, and the group did quite well until they disbanded due to the deaths/moves of the members.

Phyllis loved to entertain and set a beautiful table with the many pieces of china she collected over the years. She also loved to dress to the nines, and wore beautiful jewelry and clothing, not only on special occasions, but every day. You would have never caught her in a pair of jeans! She was lovingly known as “Fancy Phyllis” at Brookdale.

Phyllis loved her family, especially her grandchildren, and took great pleasure in spoiling and bragging about them every chance she got. She and Jim loved to travel, and they took their grandchildren with them on many cruises. Her generosity and love will be a cherished memory.

Phyllis is survived by her husband, Lee Shultz, Aurora, Colorado, sons Mark Bennett, Farmington, NH, Tom (Karen) Bennett, Denver, CO, daughters Janet (Bill) Melton, Marshall, IL, Carol (John) Turk of Denver, CO, Vicki Noyes (Garry), Marshall, IL, 13 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great-grandchildren, as well as many beloved friends and her church family.

She was preceded in death by her husband James Bennett, brother Rex Wright, granddaughter Heather Bennett, daughter-in-law Avis Bennett, and grandsons Tyler Martinson and Dylan VonDohlen.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Calvary Baptist Church of Denver on March 19, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. There will be a private family burial service earlier that day.

Memorial donations may be made to:

Calvary Baptist Church of Denver

6500 E Girard Avenue

Denver, CO 80224