Phyllis Kurland

KURLAND, PHYLLIS M., known to family and friends as "G," passed peacefully Friday, February 14, 2014 at the age of 94. G carried herself with grace and dignity throughout her full life. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, she moved with her parents David and Rose Sontag and her two siblings to Miami in the early 1920s and vividly remembers being part of a growing metropolis. She graduated from Miami Senior High School in 1937 and attended the University of Alabama in Birmingham, where she was a member of Sigma Delta Tau and crowned Homecoming Queen. On December 24, 1939, she married Benjamin Myers and moved with him to Salem, Massachusetts, where her daughter Dale and son Douglas were born. Soon after, the family moved back to Florida and settled on the Venetian Islands in Miami Beach. G was fully devoted to her family; there was not a family event or celebration she did not attend. She was more than a mother, grandmother and great grandmother, she was a true friend to us all and we each shared a unique and special relationship with her. Her loyalty knew no bounds and even with her busy life, she always made plenty of time for each one of us. Her beauty was both inside and out. And a busy life it was - she loved travel and visited Europe and Asia many times. She volunteered for years with the Mt. Sinai Hospital Women's Auxiliary and Temple Israel. After Ben's death in 1974, G didn't slow down. She became a patron of the arts, frequenting the symphony, ballet and Jackie Mason at the Jackie Gleason Theater, one of her favorites. As an independent woman, she became a wise financial investor and often touted her prescient buys. Her family and friends looked to her for advice and counsel. Her activities went beyond the stock pages and you could find her exercising in a pool or walking around the Venetian Islands with her friends. In the past twenty years, she became an avid Miami Heat fan, often leaving dinner dates early to make sure she caught the game. Lastly, G was knowledgeable and opinionated on the politics of the day and advocated her positions clearly and gracefully. Her elegance, sophistication, intelligence, style, deep love, loyalty and friendship will be dearly missed. G leaves her daughter Dale (Stephen) Kulvin of Coral Gables, Florida and son Douglas (Sue-Ellen) Myers of Cambridge, Massachusetts; five grand-children Leigh (Flip) Gassman; Dana Kulvin (Daniel Dietch); Karen Kulvin (William Portnoy); Seth (Galit) Myers; Alex Myers (Ilona Tipp); eight great grandchildren Ross and Grant Gassman, Benjamin and Judah Dietch, Max and Jessica Portnoy and Mia and Elan Myers; and niece and nephew Cookie Kupper Wynne and Michael Sontag. G is predeceased by her brother, Albert Sontag and sister, Ruth Kupper Wein. The family gives its heartfelt thanks to all of G's caregivers: Leonie Smith, AnnMarie Bhoorshingh, Velma Shand and Lorna Bright. G's funeral service will be held at 12:30pm on Sunday, February 16, 2014 at Temple Judea, 5500 Granada Boulevard, Coral Gables, followed by interment at Mt. Nebo Memorial Gardens, 5505 N.W. Third Street, Miami. Contributions in her memory can be made to Temple Judea.