Phylgia Rosella Tiffany

Phylgia Rosella (Larson) Tiffany passed away peacefully in her sleep August 17, 2011, at the age of 91. At her bedside was her daughter, Cheryl Tiffany, of Kent. Phylgia was born on October 14, 1919, in St. Vincent, Minnesota. She was the oldest of four children, two boys and two girls, born to Fred and Mary (Bakke) Larson of Fargo, North Dakota. A third brother died as an infant. She was also preceded in death by her other brothers, Orville and Bertle Larson, and her husband, Donald Pershing Tiffany, with whom she enjoyed 48 wonderful years of marriage until his passing on September 14, 1991, at the age of 72. In addition to her daughter, she is survived by her sister, Frances Mae Maglaras Wadham, of Ephrata and numerous nieces, nephews, and their extended families. Since she was the only student who passed first grade, she skipped second grade and graduated from Fargo’s Oak Grove Lutheran School in 1936 at the age of 16. She then went to business school and worked for a short time before marrying her high school sweetheart, Donald, on June 19, 1943, just before the Air Force sent him to Pearl Harbor. After the war, a 22-year military career moved the family to Guam, France, and many of the central and western states, finally settling in Rapid City, South Dakota. Upon Don’s retirement from the military and Cheryl’s graduation from high school in 1962, the Tiffany family moved to Washington, living first in Ephrata, then Wenatchee, and ultimately settling in Everett in 1964 where Phylgia resided until her death. She valued friends and family most, looking forward to her Saturday beauty shop appointments and her Tuesday and Thursday exercise classes at the Carl Gipson Senior Center of Everett. Her final days were spent at Aegis Living in Kent where a three-week battle with pneumonia and lung cancer closed her eyes for the last time. Phylgia was kind to every life that touched hers and will be forever missed.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, August 23, 2011 from 9 a.m. – 12:55 p.m. Funeral Service will be at 1:00 p.m. at Purdy & Walters with Cassidy. Private interment at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park. There will be a reception held on September 6 at 1:00 p.m. at the Carl Gipson Senior Center, 3025 Lombard Ave. , Everett, WA 98201, 425-257-8780. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Senior Center can be made in her name to benefit the USO Dance or the War Veterans Club.