Phyllis M. Tobias

Phyllis M. Tobias was born in Brooklyn, NY on October 21, 1945, and was raised in Bellerose, Queens. She spent almost her entire life in New York, living on Long Island to raise her two daughters, Lisa and Julie, and moving back to Queens to be closer to her workplace. She gave back to her New York community by being an English teacher at IS 73 for 25 years. Her students adored her for her caring, motherly nature and her sense of humor.

Nobody ever thought she'd leave New York, but her grandchildren Jesse and Maggie were enough motivation for her to finally move out to Colorado Springs in 2021. She spent the last few years of her life visiting with her beloved grandchildren often and having fun with the fellow residents of her retirement community, Mackenzie Place.

Phyllis was no stranger to loss, as her father died when she was only 11, and her dear daughter Lisa passed away at the age of 27. Despite these hardships, she was always a bright light in the room, befriending everyone, from the deli workers at the local grocery store to the waitstaff at Mackenzie Place.

Phyllis loved literature, PBS, traveling, photography, her plants and flowers, and her Lilliput miniature houses.

Everyone who knew her, loved her, and knew her as one of the friendliest, kindest people around. She loved to regale her audiences with stories, making a memorable impression on all who met her.

She is survived by her daughter Julie (Greg), her grandchildren Jesse and Maggie, her cousin Paul, and her niece and nephew Lynn and Lawrence. She is greeted in heaven by her daughter Lisa, her sister Helen (Stanley), her parents Fannie and Louis, and her granddog Dinah.

Donations can be made to your local PBS station, or any other appropriate charity of your choice.

A funeral service for Phyllis will take place on Friday, March 8, 2024 at 1:30 PM at Sinai Chapels, 114-03 Queens Boulevard, in Forest Hills, NY 11375. Following the service we will be proceeding to New Montefiore Cemetery, 1180 Wellwood Avenue, W. Babylon NY 11704 for a committal service at 3:15 PM