Obituary of Phyllis Irene Drier Howe
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Age 90, of Lake Wales, FL., formerly of Mt. Morris, died on Monday, March 15, 2021, at Bentley Manor Assisted Living. A funeral service will take place at 1:00 pm on Saturday, March 20, 2021, at Martin Funeral, Cremation, & Tribute Services in Mt. Morris. Pastor Michael Vandenberg to officiate, with burial to follow at Flint Memorial Park Cemetery. The family will be present to receive friends and family from 3:00 pm until 8:00 pm on Friday, March 19, 2021, and 10:00 am until the time of the service at 1:00 pm on Saturday. Those desiring may direct memorial donations to the charity of their choice. Expression of sympathy may be shared with the family at martinfuneralhome.com.
Phyllis was born in Flint, Michigan on June 13, 1930, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clyde M. and Gwynfa (Richards) Fox. Raised and educated locally, Phyllis graduated from Beecher High School with the Class of 1948. As a young woman, Phyllis started working at Kresge's Boston in Downtown Flint at the age of 16, of course, they didn’t know she was 16 at the time. While working, she met and fell in love with the gorgeous, Raymond Drier. From the moment she laid eyes on him, she knew she would marry him. Waiting one day after Phyllis’s 18th birthday, they were united in marriage on January 27, 1949. Sadly, Raymond preceded her in death in 1972. Phyllis had a passion for dancing, she started dance lessons at Arthur Murray Dance Studios where she met Garry Howe. The two danced together and fell in love, uniting in marriage on August 1, 1980. Sadly he preceded her in death in 2007. Phyllis continued to dance and sing in the church choir in Mt. Morris and in Florida. Working for the Beecher School District, Phyllis was the Food Service Director, until her retirement in 1991. She had a huge heart and spent her summers working with the school district's summer meal program. She was a Girl Scout leader for ten years while her daughter, Cheryl, was growing up. Phyllis was the youth group leader at Bethany Reformed Church and a Sunday School teacher. Phyllis loved to travel, taking four vacations to Hawaii. She and Garry bought a fifth wheel and traveled all over the country for months at a time. Phyllis also traveled to Canada every year, to visit relatives. In her free time, Phyllis enjoyed knitting and reading. She loved life and all who surrounded her. Most of all, Phyllis loved her family dearly.
Left to cherish her memory is her daughter: Cheryl and husband, Fred Guest; step-children: Ricky and wife, Candy Howe, Maria and husband, Jim DeGeurce, Matt and wife, Denise Howe, Julie and husband, James Bochue, Gary Howe, Jr.; grandchildren: Anthony and wife, Beth Guest, Christyna Morris, Shelli and husband, Andrew Booth, Dennis Drier, Rachel, Brandon; great-grandchildren: Lucas, Andrew, Isabella, Brianna, Trevor, Addison, Sophie, Dennis Jr.; several nieces, nephews, and friends.
Phyllis was preceded in death by her parents; husband: Raymond; husband: Garry; son: Dennis Frederick Drier; and brother: Max Fox.