Phyllis H. Day, 90, of Punta Gorda, FL passed away peacefully on June 1, 2019. She was born October 24, 1928 in Hagerstown, Maryland to Irwin Frederick and Mary Grace Maisack Hoffman. She spent many summers in Maine, as a camp counselor during the war years. She graduated from Hagerstown, High School in 1947, continued her education at the University of Maryland where she was a member of the Delta Gamma Sorority and graduated with a BA in Elementary Education. Phyllis met Richard Henry Day, on a blind date at Rye Playland Amusement Park, Rye, NY arranged by her childhood friend and future
sister-in-law, Nancy Hofmann Day. The two were married on May 21, 1955 in Hagerstown, MD and moved to Pelham Manor, NY to raise a family.
During her lifetime, Phyllis had several careers. She began her working life as a first grade teacher. In order to see the world, she went on to be a stewardess with Capital Airlines assigned to the Chicago - New York route. A week before she became engaged, Capital Airlines offered her the New York - Hawaii route. In the 1950’s, Airline stewardesses were mandated to be petite, weigh under 118 pounds and maintain a single marital status. Phyllis made the choice to become a devoted wife, and stay at home Mother until her children went off to college. Richard took her to Hawaii on their 30th wedding anniversary.
In the 70’s, Phyllis worked as an executive assistant for Texaco, Inc. in Harrison, NY managing executive travel. When she and Richard relocated to Savannah, GA she continued her career as a travel agent with Savannah Travel. During their 19 years in Savannah, they traveled the world, played golf, and enjoyed going to the beach on Tybee Island, GA.
Phyllis loved playing tennis, golf, platform tennis and snow skiing. You could often find her and her beloved poodle, Gigi, on a summer afternoon, sailing on Lake George, NY on the “Double Day”, the family sunfish sail boat. She was an avid reader, pet lover, quilter, gardener, musician, bell ringer and an adventurous world traveler.
She earned her Master Gardener Certification from the state of Florida, volunteering many hours on behalf of the Master Gardeners Program. She was an award winning Quilter, honored by her guild, the Disconnected Piecers Quilt Guild in 2017 during their Quilt show at the Charlotte County Convention Center. Phyllis enjoyed making blankets for children in hospital care or in need with her Huggable Quilts group on Saturdays. She participated weekly with the Mountain Dulcimer Appalachian Strings Group. Years earlier she attended multiple dulcimer courses at the Davis and Elkins Augusta Heritage Center, Elkins, WV.
Phyllis was devoted to her faith and was a lifelong Episcopalian and a member of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Punta Gorda, FL.
She managed many things on her bucket list, spending quality time with family and friends, sending her children to summer camp, paying for her children’s college education, riding a chuck wagon across the Oregon Trail, whitewater rafting down the Colorado River (twice), traveling on a steamboat up the Missouri river, enjoying multiple cruises to the Caribbean, traveling with a friend to Ireland, vacationing with her daughters, and lastly and with great pride, seeing her only grandson earn his Eagle Scout rank.
She is survived by her daughters, Susan Day Brown and Priscilla Leigh Day; son-in-law, John L. Brown III, and grandson Travis W. Brown; brother, Irwin F. Hoffman; brother-in-law, Thomas B. Day, sister-in law, Elizabeth “Beth” D. Day, sister-in-law, Patsy Hoffman, as well as twelve nieces and nephews. She was predeceased in death by her beloved husband, Richard Henry Day, her brother, Burton R. Hoffman, her mother Mary Grace Hoffman and her father Irwin Frederick Hoffman.
A Memorial Service will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Phyllis’s memory to the Lake George Land Conservancy www.lglc.org.
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