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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Obituary: Ormsby, Phyllis M.


ORMSBY, Phyllis M.

Phyllis was born on July 3, 1924 to Margaret and Phil Port in Deer Park, where she attended grade school and high school.

She worked at John W. Grahams until she married Dean Ormsby on September 4, 1946.

They bought a home on East Empire Avenue in 1949 where she lived until 2010.

She enjoyed a wonderful year at “The Academy” in Spokane.

She spent the last year of her life surrounded by the beauty and serenity of Lake Pend O’Reille in her daughter Jan’s home.

She so enjoyed sitting on the deck looking at the mountains and the lake; watching the Stellar Jays on the railing and watching the deer in the yard.

Phyllis and Dean were energetic and complete contributors to what we know today as “the World’s Greatest Generation”.

They worked hard and played harder.

We were avid tent campers throughout Washington, Idaho, and Montana until they bought property on the Pend O’Reille River with Gramma and Grampa Port, Uncle Bud and Aunt Velma.

We called it “P.O.P.

‘s Place” (Port, Ormsby, and Poirer).

Phyllis’ Fridays were spent preparing for the weekend at the river and caring for her delightful children.

The weekends were fantastic combinations of work projects and partying.

There were a constant flow of neighbors, relatives, and Air National Guard comrades to lend a working hand and to lift a glass - not always in that order.

Phyllis’ only fret was that family and friends around her were comfortable and well taken care of.

She made sure that each person felt welcome; that they were introduced around; and that they were well fed.

She knew that Dean would take care of keeping their glasses full.

Somehow cabins got built, docks floated, outhouses dug, and everyone survived.

She leaves two extremely wonderful children, Ken Ormsby and Jan Baugh and their equally wonderful spouses, Mary Jo and Jeff.

However, it’s the grandchildren and great-grand children who took center stage for Phyllis.

Meaghan (Ormsby) Schillinger and Jeremy Schillinger; their sons, Cavan and Connor.

Molly Ormsby and Nick Hetrick; son Jake.

Clark Ormsby.

Sarah Baugh and Brian Baugh.

Phyllis was also blessed with a very loving extended family and wide range of friends.

Happily, she spent one of her last days on the cabin’s deck surrounded by family, friends, and God’s sunshine.

Surely, she has already had Dean out on Heaven’s dance floor and is now enjoying a cup of coffee (or a toddy) on the river’s edge with her dear sister and best friend, Velma.

A memorial service will be held at Sunset Chapel, Fairmount Memorial Park at 2:30 pm on Saturday, October 20, 2012.

We all miss and love you, Rest in Eternal Peace.

COMMUNITY CREMATION SERVICE, SPOKANE, WA