Mary R. Phillips

     Mary was born August 11, 1943, to Lawrence and Alice (Glackin) LeClair of Royal, IA. She was the first of their ten children. She grew up in rural Royal, graduating from Clay Central High School. She graduated from St. Joseph Mercy School of Nursing in Sioux City, IA. as an RN in 1965. The same year she married Thomas Phillips, of Linn Grove, IA. To this union three children were born Monica, Michael, and Maureen.

     Mary worked as an RN at Longhouse in Spencer, IA and Sioux Care Center in Sioux Rapids, IA, before becoming Director of Nursing at Westwood Nursing Home in Sioux City, IA. She went on to join Medical Reimbursement Associates, a business started by her sister, Patricia, as a medical coding specialist. At the time, medical coding was just starting to become more streamlined. Mary enjoyed helping individuals with medical insurance problems and teaching medical business staff the proper medical codes for services rendered. The work took her to Omaha, NE; Davenport, IA and eventually Austin, TX, where she became an auditor for Texas Health and Human Services – Inspector General Office.

     In her spare time Mary enjoyed spending time with family, was a voracious murder mystery reader, spent decades researching her family genealogy; enjoyed the flowers of her potted plants and the birds and butterflies that came to visit; and if Christmas and all the décor that went with it could have been every day Mary would have found heaven on earth.

     Left to cherish her memory are her children: Monica Phillips (Dan Anderson), Albertville, MN; and Michael (Jennifer) Phillips, Fulshear, TX; grandchildren: Avery Phillips(Matthew Favela) Phillips, Cibolo, TX; Alex and Crosby Phillips, Fulshear, TX; siblings: Joe (Fran) LeClair, Spencer, IA; Joyce Reed, Papillion, NE; Jim (Becky) LeClair, Grand Junction, CO; Frances (Kristen) LeClair, Bellevue, NE; Cora LeClair (Sal Romeo), Papillion, NE; Kathleen (Mike) Manning, Meckling, SD; John (Diana) LeClair, Betterton, MD; and Colleen (Jeff) LeClair-Smith, Shallowater, TX; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

     She was preceded in death by her infant daughter, Maureen; parents; and sister, Patricia LeClair.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be directed to memorials can be directed to Catholic Charities USA https://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org or to your local PBS