PHYLLIS ANN PETERSEN VAUGHN

VAUGHN, PHYLLIS ANN PETERSEN, M.D., loving Wife and Mother, has gone on to join God and the Angels on May 18, 2011. She was a most exceptional lady, both beautiful and brilliant. Dr. Vaughn was known nationwide as a rheumatologist and as an arthritis specialist, and she was one of the early physicians to open an office in the Village of South Miami. She was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Baltimore, Maryland by Viggo and Ann Petersen. She graduated college at University of Michigan with honors in English and followed this with a medical degree from University of Maryland School of Medicine. One fortunate young doctor, James A. Vaughn, Jr., put a ring on her beautiful finger. They spent their honeymoon in Triesta, Italy, where she lived for a year, providing medical care for children in post-WWII Italy while her husband served with the U.S. Army there. In 1950, they settled in South Miami and soon opened a medical practice partnership. Phyllis furthered her studies at Jackson Memorial Hospital in internal medicine, pursuing a Medical Fellowship in Rheumatology under the tutelage of Dr. David Howell. She became a noted rheumatologist, author, lecturer and researcher, presenting a research paper to the NIH in Washington, D.C. and publishing research papers in Arthritis Rheumatology. She served as president of The South Florida Rheumatism Society as a founding member and on the staff of South Miami Hospital and South Miami Hospital Ladies' Auxiliary and Guild. Socially, she was a member of the PEO, Viscayains, Gilded Lilies, Camarilla Club, Book Club, Beaux Arts, Surf Club and Surf Club Debutante Committee. Her patients adored her. She was an outstanding physician and diagnostician while also creating a lovely and caring home for her husband, son and father. Throughout life she remained enthralled with: her many friendships; the biological mysteries of life; Chows, Wire Haired Terriers and Alaskan Malamutes; and many books (esp. Pride and Prejudice and The Unabridged Oxford English Dictionary). She also greatly enjoyed hosting parties and entertaining friends. Her love, charm, humor, and joie de vivre will be missed greatly by all of us. She is survived by her husband, Dr. James A. Vaughn; her son, Dr. James P. Vaughn and her granddaughter, Victoria Vaughn. Funeral Service will take place at 3:00 PM Sunday, May 22 at Plymouth Congregational Church, 3400 Devon Road, Coconut Grove, FL. Visitation will be held from 6:30 to 9:00 PM Saturday, May 21 at: View this Guest Book at www. MiamiHerald.com/obituaries.