Her parents, Herman I. and Emma (Beaulieu) Thayer, welcomed their daughter into the world on September 5, 1928, in Harrisville, NH. She grew up in Harrisville and was a 1946 graduate of Keene High School.
Phyllis received a bachelor’s degree from Mt. St. Mary’s College in Hookset, NH and later a Master in Education from Boston College. After graduation, Phyllis joined the Sisters of Mercy, serving in many different capacities including the teaching of young children, a responsibility she enjoyed immensely. She was assigned to schools in Franklin, NH and East Boston, MA; and a mission school at St. Anthony’s Parish in Walterboro, SC for nearly 15 years, where she was truly committed to helping all parishioners, regardless of their specific needs.
Later Phyllis left the sisterhood while maintaining her strong faith. As an accomplished organist, Phyllis filled the role of the organist at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Hillsborough, NH for many years. She was an avid reader, and completed many courses in writing for her own pleasure and knowledge.
She is survived by her nephew, John B. Gove and his wife, Ruth, of Wayland, MA; a niece, Phyllis Gove and her husband, Steven Casad, of San Jose, CA; a dear friend, Shirley Lucas of Chelmsford, MA; and several great-nieces and great-nephews. Her husband of 10 years, Emmet Lee, and a sister, Josephine Gove, predeceased her.
A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Friday, January 17, 2020 at 10:30am in St. Margaret Mary Church, 33 Arch Street, Keene, NH. Burial with committal prayers will follow in the St. Joseph Cemetery, Main Street, Keene. Family and friends are invited to call on Friday morning from 9:30 to 10:30am in St. Margaret Mary Church.
For those who wish, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mrs. Lee’s memory to St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 38 Church Street, Hillsborough, NH 03244; or to The Community Kitchen, PO Box 1315, Keene, NH 03431.
