Phyllis Claire Whitebread

chasm in the lives of her large extended family and many friends.

To her family, she was Mom or Grandma or Auntie Phyl. To her colleagues she was a

dedicated Realtor who knew all the intricacies of San Diego County’s complex housing

matrix and helped clients navigate them to find homes.

Phyllis Claire Crain was born in 1932 in Shreveport, Louisiana to Robert Ashton Crain

and Vera Hendricks Crain and grew up in Louisiana and Texas. She attended North

Texas State College, now North Texas University in Denton, joining Zeta Tau Alpha and

majoring in English and Spanish. There, she met Cullen “Irish” Boyles, a recent

graduate. They married in 1952 and eventually settled in San Diego. Phyllis worked in

social services while Irish, whose Marine Corps service had brought them to California,

was an advertising executive.

Together they raised three children, Andrea, Scott, and Kevin. The boys played Little

League under their father’s coaching. In 1973, Irish died suddenly and Phyllis Boyles

became the family’s sole provider. She continued helping the unemployed find work,

switching in 1977 to helping people find homes. Working first at Regatta and then Better

Homes and Gardens, she ultimately moved to Coldwell Banker, where she was well

known for her integrity, honesty, and relentless work ethic. She received a number of

Achievement awards including the International President’s Elite.

In 1979, Phyllis married Robert (Bob) Whitebread, a Californian who had worked in

parks and recreation before turning to veterans’ employment services. Bob passed in

2015 after 36 years of marriage. A man of few words and a big heart, he was often

heard to say, “Phyllis is the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Phyllis loved to socialize, read, play tennis, travel, and enjoy her extended family and

friends. Her Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts were legend, from turkey to pie. She

cared for her mother Vera at their Point Loma home until her death, also at the age of

93.

In addition to her three children, Phyllis’s greatest joys were the La Jolla Playhouse, the

Old Globe, and the San Diego Symphony. She was delighted when many of the people

she found homes for turned into lifelong friends.

Phyllis was preceded in death by her daughter Andrea in 2020. She is survived by

loving sons, Scott and Kevin, Scott’s sons, Christopher and Phillip, and three great grandchildren. Also grieving her loss are Andrea’s husband, Mike McIntyre; Bob’s

children, Lisa, Bob Jr., Steve, and Julie and their families; and devoted sister-in-law

Betty Boyles Fraser and her children David, Michael, and Victoria. Dy Valdez, Scott’s

Significant Other, was bound to Phyllis with unconditional love and support during some

of the most challenging times in her final years. And it would be unthinkable not to

mention another cherished companion, the family dog, Barney.

For everyone who knew her, Phyllis’s warm and generous spirit belied the tragedy she

had endured with dignity. Welcoming all with a smile and a hug, she worked tirelessly to

support her family and help others achieve their dreams.