Phyllis Ryan Gareis

Phyllis Ryan Gareis, 89, of Atlanta, passed away peacefully on April 6, 2020. She was among loved ones in body and spirit, and it was her kind of morning—a light breeze, blue sky, and greens of spring. Phyllis was predeceased by her loving and eternally devoted husband, Donald H. Gareis, and is survived by their four children and their families: daughter Lisa G. Korslund, her husband James R. Korslund, and their children Ryan, Hannah, and Katherine, of Edina, MN; son Peter D. Gareis, his wife Mary Ann "Mert" M. Gareis, and their children O’Grady, Nicholas, and Susan of Cochran, GA; son Christopher R. Gareis, his wife Molly H. Gareis, and their children Hance, Isabelle, and Anne Ryan of Williamsburg, VA; and daughter Sarah G. Wilson and her children Jack and Luke of Marietta, GA. Phyllis is also survived by her younger sisters, Sheila R. Tierney and Sherrill A. Ryan of Canada, as well as a passel of brothers- and sisters-in-law, cousins, nieces, nephews, lifelong friends, tennis teammates, mahjong partners, fellow former flight attendants, work colleagues, neighbors, and new friends, including her close companion of recent years, Gene Cox of Atlanta. Phyllis was predeceased by her sisters Geraldine, Bernice, and Doreen; brothers Clifton, Kevin, Timothy, and Francis; beloved sisters- and brothers-in-law; and her son-in-law, William Todd Wilson.

Phyllis was born on April 18, 1930, in Englehart, Ontario, to Martha (O’Grady) and John Andrew “Jack” Ryan, both of Killaloe, Ontario. She graduated from North Bay Collegiate high school, where she was well-known for her athleticism on the basketball team. Forecasting a lifelong love of sports and outdoor adventure, Phyllis’ first job was as Assistant Recreation Director for the town of North Bay. Later, upon reading an ad for stewardesses, she travelled to Toronto, interviewed, and was offered a position on the spot with American Airlines. She made many dear friends during her flying career, and it was during this period that she met and then, in 1954, married Donald. During the ensuing decades, Phyllis and Don’s life together took them from Boston, then Philadelphia, followed by Chicago, and finally settling in Atlanta in 1965. As a mother, she was an effervescent model of energy, loyalty, competitiveness, creativity, and fun (but less so organization or attention to expiration dates). For many years, Phyllis fearlessly packed up the kids in the family’s school-bus yellow Dodge van and drove from Georgia to Buffalo, then over the border to Canada, to visit relatives from both the Gareis and Ryan sides of the family.

She was an avid tennis player and always had a racquet and balls in the trunk of her car, literally until the day she died. She loved to spend time at her second home on Lake Burton in the North Georgia mountains, where her favorite activities were swimming in the cove and taking cocktail hour cruises on the old pontoon boat with Don. With her unique combination of charm, vim, and savvy, Phyllis led a highly successful career as a manufacturers’ sales representative beginning with Polaroid and wedding dresses in the ‘70s and extending to a variety of houseware lines in the decades that followed. Described by one friend as a bright light at every gathering, Phyllis was a member of the Emory University Women’s Club, a founding member and president of the Canadian Women’s Club, and a lifetime member of the American Airlines Kiwi Club, in which she enthusiastically served in numerous leadership roles. A lifelong Catholic, Phyllis was a member of the Immaculate Heart of Mary parish. Phyllis embraced her Irish heritage, from her signature red hair to the mischievous twinkle in her eye. The day before she passed, in what would be one of her last spoken thoughts, Phyllis smiled and simply said, “It’s been fun.” We love you, Mom.

A memorial Mass will be held later this summer in Atlanta, as well as a private interment at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs. Please consider donating to the Woodruff Arts Center (https://www.woodruffcenter.org/) or the Atlanta Botanical Garden (https://atlantabg.org/) in Phyllis' name. Online condolences may be made at H. M. Patterson & Son—Oglethorpe Hill (https://www.dignitymemorial.com/).